Paying back rent arrears

[Wotsitsareorange]

Hi all, I've got myself into a bit of a situation with my rent which has resulted in over a £1000 of arrears.
I've agreed with my council to pay them back so that I don't lose my home.

I've just had an email from my rent officer outlining the amount she would like me to pay, but I think she is over charging me.
Could someone please have a look at my workings out and tell me if I'm correct before I reply to her email.
As I'm not quite sure how the council and housing benefit work out their payments.

Rent total: £171.34pw
Housing benefit: £115.72
Shortfall: £55.62
Rent arrears: £5pw

Total £242.48pm payable by me

Her total amount including rent and payment for arrears is £364.94
I don't know how she has worked this out, as even with a 5 week month by my workings the total is £298.10
There is no way that I can afford to pay what she is asking, as well as my council tax, debts and other bills.
I know I've messed up, so please try not to judge me.

So they've got it as you paying £30 a week extra rather than £5?
You need to ring them immediately and explain you can't afford that much, have you arranged to pay £5 a week?

So you have to pay the short fall and the arrears? I think

Is that to be paid calendar monthly? If it is I make it £262.68 per month.

That’s assuming you don’t get any rent free weeks during the year, we get 4 so your figure of £242.48 would then be correct.

Definitely question this if you’ve agreed £5 per week.

If you go to Citizens Advice they will do a budget for you and then will confirm to your housing officer what you can/can't pay. Generally works better than telling them yourself. Or it does in my area. They can also do a benefit check to make sure you are getting everything you are entitled to.

If it’s calendar monthly with no rent free weeks I make her calculation £23.60 per week too much.
It could be that they’re trying to get the arrears paid off in 12 months (is what you owe around £1480?)

But if you can’t afford that and have agreed £5 per week then stick to your guns.

Good luck OP, let us know how you get on.

Call again and make it very crystal clear you cannot afford thier figure and state the figure you an afford.

I got into this mess a few years ago after I switched to universal credit and they didn’t sort my housing benefit and didn’t tell me how much I was to pay so I was the water rates as they stated I would have to when I moved however left out that there would be a shortfall I would need to make up so I went months (and they didn’t contact me or even tell me) without paying and then one day slammed me with a bill. I argued and I had to pay it but I made it clear what I can afford and I would be paying no more than that to clear my arrears.

Do you have to pay the shortfall and money off your arrears? That gets you closer to her figure, and is the case here, sadly.

@AnchorDownDeepBreath Yes I have to pay the shortfall plus £5 towards the arrears weekly, which totals £60.42pw

We've not as yet put in a permanent payment plan the email I received this morning was her first offer.
So I will definitely question it and try to get hold of citizens advice today, just to see if they can help me out.

I can afford to pay the total of which I worked out as I was initially paying £250pm but with a cock up of housing benefit and an overpayment its left me in arrears.

is it because the hb is paid in arrears?

@mumwon I'm not sure, my housing benefit gets paid every monday, so don't quite know if they pay in arrears weekly or if they only do this monthly.

I make this £262.68 per month too.

Ah okay @Wotsitsareorange. I hope they're reasonable about payment plans! They don't half make things stressful.