A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

Transcription

1 PLEASE NOTE FLAP ON RIGHT IS 75 MM WIDE AND NEEDS TO BE PERFORATED SO THAT IT CAN BE REMOVED PLEASE SEE MOCK-UP SUPPLIED Phone number PJ41568 Send the slip to: Hackney Revenues and Benefits Service, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY. Address and postcode Name If you want to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, please fill in the slip and send it to the address below. When we receive the slip, we will send you a claim form. You will have one month to fill it in and provide any proof we ask for. If you would like to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit Hackney Revenue and Benefits Service, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY Produced by Hackney Design, Communications & Print June 2010 PJ41568-F DIE CUT PERF LINE A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

2 What are Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit? Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are state benefits that help people on a low income to pay their rent and council tax. Both benefits are means-tested. This means that when we work out whether or not you are entitled to benefit, we look at your income, savings and investments. We will also look at the personal circumstances of other adults living in your household. Who can claim? You can claim Housing Benefit if you are responsible for paying rent on your home. You can claim Council Tax Benefit if you are the person responsible for paying the council tax on your home. You cannot claim Housing Benefit to help pay your mortgage. If you are having trouble making your mortgage payments, please contact the Department for Work and Pensions on How is my benefit worked out? The Government decide an amount that they believe is the minimum that you and your family need to live on each week. This is called an applicable amount and will be compared against: Income or savings you and your partner have; Rent you have to pay each week; Council tax you have to pay each week. We will also look at the personal circumstances of other adults living in your household. Please refer to our leaflet, How we calculate your housing benefit and council tax benefit. 2

3 Local Housing Allowance Local Housing Allowance is a way of working out Housing Benefit for private tenants. If you rent from a private landlord, we will assess your rent based on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for the area you live in and the size of your household. If you want to find out the LHA rate for your area and your size of household, you can phone or visit What proof do I need to provide? We need the following evidence to work out a claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Proof of identity, including two forms of photographic identification for you and your partner (if you have one) Proof of National Insurance number for you and your partner Proof of income for you and your partner Proof of income for anyone else who lives with you this includes grown-up children, other relatives, or a friend who lives with you Two months proof of your and your partner s savings this includes investments, stocks, shares, property, and all bank and building-society accounts Proof of how much rent you pay If you cannot provide these, please contact us at Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY. Phone: Textphone: benefits@hackney.gov.uk Counter Service: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm 3

4 How will I be told about my benefit entitlement? Once we have decided how much benefit you will receive, we will send you a letter telling you how much Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit we are awarding you. This letter will tell you how we have worked out your benefit, how we will pay it and your appeal rights. Please read this letter very carefully and keep it in a safe place. If you disagree with the amount of benefit we are awarding you, you must tell us within one month of the date of the letter. How will I be paid? If you are a council tenant, we will pay Housing Benefit straight into your rent account. If you are a housing-association tenant, we will send your Housing Benefit direct to your landlord unless you tell us otherwise. If you rent from a private landlord, we will pay Housing Benefit direct into your bank or building-society account. If we have also awarded you Council Tax Benefit, we will pay this straight into your council tax account, reducing the amount you have to pay. 4

5 How can I backdate my claim? We normally pay Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit from the Monday after we receive your claim form and any proof we ask for. However, if you want to backdate your claim and you are of working age and can show a very good reason for not claiming earlier, we can backdate it for up to six months. If you are a pensioner, we can automatically backdate your claim for up to three months. You do not have to show a good reason for not claiming earlier. Whether you are a pensioner or of working age, you will need to provide proof of your income and savings for the time you want to backdate your claim for. What happens if I can t get to one of your offices to get help with my application? If you need help filling in your application form but cannot get to our office because of your health or because you are elderly or have a disability, we can visit you at home. Please phone us on for more information. What if my circumstances change? If your circumstances change you must tell us straight away. If you do not, you may lose benefit or we may overpay you. If we overpay you, you will have to pay the money back. The types of changes you must tell us about include the following. A change in your address Changes in the number of people in your household (for example, if a member of your household moves out or someone new moves in) Changes in the amount of rent you pay Changes in your income or the income of anyone in your household 5

6 More information If you would like any more information, you can contact us in the following ways. Revenues and Benefits, Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY Phone: Textphone: Fax: benefits@hackney.gov.uk Web: Counter enquiries: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm Children s Centre at Tyssen, Tyssen Primary School, Oldhill Street, London N16 6AQ Opening times: Wednesdays from 9.30am to 4pm Stamford Hill Library, Portland Avenue, London N16 6SB Opening times: Mondays and Thursdays from 11am to 4.30pm 6

7 If you only need help filling in a claim form or you would like to hand in your form or documents, you can also visit the following. Homerton Neighbourhood Office, 92 Well Street, London E9 7JA Phone: North West Neighbourhood Office, Stoke Newington Municipal Building, Stoke Newington, London N16 0JR Phone North East Neighbourhood Office (for council tenants only), 149 Stamford Hill, London N16 5LG Phone: Shoreditch Neighbourhood Office, Bletchley Court, 1 Cropley Street, London N1 7PT Phone: De Beauvoir & Queensbridge Neighbourhood Office, 31 De Beauvoir Road, London N1 5SJ Phone Clapton Park TMO, The Housing Office, 4A Gilpin Square, London E5 0HL Phone: Suffolk Estate TMO (for Suffolk estate tenants only), The Housing Officer, Welshpool Street, London E8 4PF Phone: Rent Deposit Scheme (for Rent Deposit Scheme clients only), Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY Phone:

8 PLEASE NOTE FLAP ON RIGHT IS 75 MM WIDE AND NEEDS TO BE PERFORATED SO THAT IT CAN BE REMOVED PLEASE SEE MOCK-UP SUPPLIED Phone number PJ41568 Send the slip to: Hackney Revenues and Benefits Service, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY. Address and postcode Name If you want to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, please fill in the slip and send it to the address below. When we receive the slip, we will send you a claim form. You will have one month to fill it in and provide any proof we ask for. If you would like to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit Hackney Revenue and Benefits Service, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY Produced by Hackney Design, Communications & Print June 2010 PJ41568-F DIE CUT PERF LINE A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit