Granted a small amount of housing benefit!

[Atwaroverscrabble]

ok! We have just been informed that now dsd(16) is living with us we qualify for £30 a week housing benefit towards our £1000 a month rent! That is useful, not overly useful but i am grateful for anything extra we get, especially as we lost working tax credits as my husband went over the threshold by a few pounds....

Anyway, this is the only benefit we get apart from child tax credit and child benefit.

My question now is, does being entitled to housing benefit now open the door to other funds/savings etc?

[GypsyMoth]

Maybe council tax benefit

[Atwaroverscrabble]

No unfortunately none of that... But i have found that i can get a ard to use the gym and swim for reduced rate of £1.20!

[OpinionatedMum]

PDSA will treat your pets if in receipt of HB.

[MotherPanda]

nct will discount their courses if you are on hb... probably other places do too.

[Atwaroverscrabble]

Thank you

[Kayano]

Adult learning classes I think

[oksonowwhat]

Do you mind me asking what the threshold was that your husbands wages went over? I do not received hb or anything and i earn, with loads of overtime just over 10,000 per year. I have a child living at home who is in full time education and keep hoping i would be entitled to something!

[Atwaroverscrabble]

I think the threshold for him was around £18,000. I am a full time student with no taxable income so they don't really count me.... hence no support for childcare costs despite needing 9-5, M-F cover!

the calculations for benefits are really complicated too and run off the governments 'personal allowances' which they reckon you can live on. For 2 adults 18+ its £105 per week for food/fuel/everything other than rent basically...

[oksonowwhat]

Thanks for the info. Its strange because you say £18,000 and i have heard that before. But when i've called them about hb before they work out my money and say that i have enough (according to the government) to live on. So don't know how £10,000 salary!

[Atwaroverscrabble]

I would fill in the forms and apply, then they send you the actual calculation so you can see for yourself... We have 3 kids now and it wasnt until DSD moved in that we qualified and i am sure once child benefit is finally moved across to us they will say we dont qualify anymore!

[sleepevader]

The thresholds really do depend on how many people are in the household and the rate of local housing allowance.

I can only echo the advice already given to apply so you know what your calculation is.

[oksonowwhat]

Ok, i'll get a form. Thanks