Council House Waiting Lists ; Are You On It ? - Page 2

harwood red · 04-06-2007, 11:29

Mel sorry to correct you on the overlap but this has been clamped down on... overlaps are only given in extreme circumstances.. if there are repairs to be done to the property then a delayed tenancy start should be offered which means that the tenancy will start but no rent charged until the property is available to move in. (housing benefit would not be paid in Blackburn for this reason)

If it is adaptations for medical reasons that need to be done then an overlap can be given

Other than that overlaps are only usually given for the termination period of previous property when the move was urgent due to medical need or in the case of domestic violence.

Overlaps apart from in the case of adaptations will only be paid when the tenant has moved.

As for willows comment on who will be paying for the other property they are living in...usually it's due to them shacking up with a new boyfriend/girlfriend so they are not paying rent their new partner is!

Lancsdave, there is not really the opportunity to check everyone's details all the time, although they do spot checks from time to time but it can't happen with everyone..imagine how many people are claiming housing benefit

accymel · 04-06-2007, 11:58

You may correct me as i can only go off personal experience - & there are exceptions as ref which is still countable, so i wasn't too far off the mark with one then LOL.

***Mr D*** · 04-06-2007, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Thats quite alarming if that sort of stuff goes on. Don't Housing Benefit check what they are paying out for ?

Nope I know someone who SIGNED OFF JSA, and moved, now he owes £2000+ to HBC as they continued to pay rent to the landlord and Council Tax bill. Even though he wasnt living there and had signed off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmi5bellies

If its left any longer the warm summer nights are coming, the youths will be walking the streets in their packs, getting drunk and this house will be broken into and vandalised.

Just tonight as i was standing in my front garden we heard the shattering of glass. Somehow i think that could have been the front window of the house on Summerset Grove as it sounded like it was coming that way.

Im not supprised a lot of houses are empty. not the best of areas.

harwood red · 04-06-2007, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

Nope I know someone who SIGNED OFF JSA, and moved, now he owes £2000+ to HBC as they continued to pay rent to the landlord and Council Tax bill. Even though he wasnt living there and had signed off.

That does suprise me as over in Blackburn the department of works and pensions that pay the JSA automatically notify capita (who deal with housing benefit and council tax benefit) when someone's claim has stopped for whatever reason!! Then housing benefit dept automatically notify us as landlords that their claim for HB has been suspended (as they write out to the tenant to ask why their claim for benefit has stopped). We as landlords then also write out asking how they are going to pay their rent and if no response check the property is still lived in, then service notice etc....etc....

***Mr D*** · 04-06-2007, 18:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by harwood red

That does suprise me as over in Blackburn the department of works and pensions that pay the JSA automatically notify capita (who deal with housing benefit and council tax benefit) when someone's claim has stopped for whatever reason!! Then housing benefit dept automatically notify us as landlords that their claim for HB has been suspended (as they write out to the tenant to ask why their claim for benefit has stopped). We as landlords then also write out asking how they are going to pay their rent and if no response check the property is still lived in, then service notice etc....etc....

I to agreed its stupid.

Basically he moved, signed off JSA, they continued to pay the landlord (he also didnt say anything) now they found out he signed off and wasnt entitled to Housing and TAx benefit they are hitting he for the over payment, even though the landlord has had the cash.

He has been to CAB ect and they all say that he is responsable for the over payment and he should of nitified housing himself, I personally would think signing off would do this?

harwood red · 04-06-2007, 18:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

I to agreed its stupid.

Basically he moved, signed off JSA, they continued to pay the landlord (he also didnt say anything) now they found out he signed off and wasnt entitled to Housing and TAx benefit they are hitting he for the over payment, even though the landlord has had the cash.

He has been to CAB ect and they all say that he is responsable for the over payment and he should of nitified housing himself, I personally would think signing off would do this?

Unfortunately he let himself down by effectively abandoning the property... and the landlord was none the wiser so why should they be out of pocket??

***Mr D*** · 04-06-2007, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by harwood red

Unfortunately he let himself down by effectively abandoning the property... and the landlord was none the wiser so why should they be out of pocket??

The landlord knew he had left and was working on/in the property as it needed a bit of work doing to it, hence why he left.

harwood red · 04-06-2007, 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

The landlord knew he had left and was working on/in the property as it needed a bit of work doing to it, hence why he left.

But then they may have thought he only moved out temporarily whilst work was going on which happens quite a lot on a reburish.. When all said and done it is his responsibility to advise them in writing that he was leaving and he has to give 4 weeks notice too... Its all in the tenancy agreement

***Mr D*** · 04-06-2007, 19:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by harwood red

But then they may have thought he only moved out temporarily whilst work was going on which happens quite a lot on a reburish.. When all said and done it is his responsibility to advise them in writing that he was leaving and he has to give 4 weeks notice too... Its all in the tenancy agreement

No he knew he had moved out and wasnt returning.

Fair enough if he did lets say take 4 weeks extra rent, but to take around £1000, was IMO out of order.

IMO if someone signs of JSA or any other tyoe of benefit they should inform all there other department (ie housing) that benefits are no longer to be paid.

I have had them say it to me in the past, JSA & housing are different they dont talk to each other.

WillowTheWhisp · 05-06-2007, 08:01

I can't speak from personal experience as I've never had a rented house or housing benefit but I do have a couple of friends who have and their experience has been that they moved out of one and straight into the other (whether ready for habitation or not and if not the repairs have continued after they moved) because the housing benefit would only be paid on one property so as soon as the occupancy of one house started the other one ended and they had to hand over the keys - couldn't go back for mail or anything so had to be sure to get it all redirected.

jimmi5bellies · 05-06-2007, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

Nope I know someone who SIGNED OFF JSA, and moved, now he owes £2000+ to HBC as they continued to pay rent to the landlord and Council Tax bill. Even though he wasnt living there and had signed off.

Im not supprised a lot of houses are empty. not the best of areas.

But if you are a genuine person in need of housing, you should not be too bothered where you go.
Its not too bad up here, you get teens, drugs, anti-social behaviour on private estates too.

***Mr D*** · 05-06-2007, 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmi5bellies

But if you are a genuine person in need of housing, you should not be too bothered where you go.
Its not too bad up here, you get teens, drugs, anti-social behaviour on private estates too.

I would agree if you are in desperate need it would be a god send.

Accrington is full of problem areas, I have lived in a few, Summerset Grove was one of the worst for gangs of kids (And I mean Kids) walking around just casuing distress to people and damaging cars ect.

It was a few years ago though, whether things have changed?? Although I do recall reading about a guy who chased police back into there vehicle with a meat cleaver recently on Summerset Grove. Not my preference of a area to bring a kid up in.

jimmi5bellies · 05-06-2007, 15:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

I would agree if you are in desperate need it would be a god send.

Accrington is full of problem areas, I have lived in a few, Summerset Grove was one of the worst for gangs of kids (And I mean Kids) walking around just casuing distress to people and damaging cars ect.

It was a few years ago though, whether things have changed?? Although I do recall reading about a guy who chased police back into there vehicle with a meat cleaver recently on Summerset Grove. Not my preference of a area to bring a kid up in.

Its pretty much the same. The meat clever incident was made to sound far worse than it was actually. From what ive been told from the people directly involved is they didnt even get out of their vehicles in the first place and it was hyped up far worse than was it actually was.

Fern Gore is another problem hotspot. Its todays society and the lack of discipline from the parents.

accymel · 05-06-2007, 15:54

Have to laugh out very loud!!!! HAHAHHAHA

How peoples perceptions of areas are different than the truth F-G isnt that bad as the reputation that preceeds it

suppose its like medoway where i used to think was rough - or that i knew rough people there

accymel · 05-06-2007, 15:58

Theres a 6 year waiting list for up here believe it or not