On Full HB. Housing Association Want to me to Pay £5, Help?

[TigerRag]

Currently receive income based ESA and HB. HA want me to pay £5 a week towards my rent (currently full rent is paid) so that when I'm transfered to UC

They do keep saying that we're meant to pay them in advance. They know I'm on full HB and can't seem to grasp that I can't afford to pay £5 after paying for everything.

Can they do this? They've written to me twice this year and I've told them both times that I can't afford it. They can't seem to understand this.

What are your reasons for not being able to pay it? Have you just said you can't afford it or have you said you can't afford it because of X and Y. Are you meant to pay it?

Are you entitled to you rent being paid but doesn't cover the full amount so you need to pay £5 a week ?

Could the £5 be a service charge. I don’t believe that benefits cover the service charge.

What's the £5 for?

“If you have been moved over to Universal Credit from a legacy benefit - known as ‘natural migration’ - the amount of UC you get could be more or less than the benefits you get now. If you are asked or informed about a switch, seek advice from a Welfare & Benefits advisor.”

What is the rent on the property you live in? Full housing benefit is only up to a certain value - if the property costs more or has service charges in addition you have to pay the difference

It's to get you in advance on your rent because universal credit is paid in arrears

Is this so you've built up enough money with them to pay the rent in advance when to switch to UC, as otherwise you'll be paying in arrears?

If you pay fixed service charges, it should be included in the rent demand, and you shouldn't have to pay any extra.

If your total rent is £405 as an example, but your HB entitlement is £400, then the £5 difference must be covered by you.

It will most likely be your service charge as housing benefit doesn’t cover that. UC won’t cover the service charge either.

I'm not sure what your post is about. When you are on UC your rent will be covered in full if you are a HA tenant unless you have a spare bedroom. When you transfer to Uc you will also get a tw week run on of housing benefit. Did they explain why they want you to pay this extra £5. Do you have arrears?

Perhaps you need to speak to someone in person to discuss this matter and resolve it one way or another?

The £5 a week will be so you end up with one months rent in your rent account incase you start working and your housing benefit ends or you change over to UC which takes a while to process. It’s so you don’t fall in to rent arrears. My HA is the same and when I started working I had a full months rent in my account so didn’t get in to rent arrears as I know hb and UC are paid in arrears. This was over 8 years ago so could of changed now.

People switching to UC who pay when they get paid will be permanently a month in arrears, because UC is paid monthly in arrears. HB is also paid in arrears, so if your HB is paid fortnightly, you will always be 2 weeks in arrears.

This means their rent collection stats look bad. I'm guessing they want you to pay the extra £5 so that your rent account will eventually be in credit and you will be paying in advance.

But if you can't afford it, you can't pay it. They're not going to evict you for being two weeks or a month in arrears.

Someone has clearly forgotten the search facility exists. Have you stopped claiming UC with the housing element in the last month?

I've reported your post because you're vile.

You have no idea how much people struggle on benefits do you

How lucky you are

I don’t understand last week you were posting about your holiday to Belfast, staying in a hotel etc, no real budget, and a week later you can’t afford five pounds a week! What happened in th last seven days?

You are a dick.

She does, she's on UC herself the tube.

@TigerRag it's to build up enough credit to cover the gap between HB last payment and UC first. How aggressive are your HA with arrears?

This.

Maybe cancel your holiday

Hmmm if that is the case as @Floweryflora says surely you should prioritise £5/week towards housing over a holiday? I appreciate things can be tight but if you’re working £20 a month total for all your housing is considerably less than many many people.

Yes your post about your holiday you clearly say you don't have a hotel budget so surely you can afford £5 a week rent.