Housing and Council Tax Benefit changes from October 2008
A new benefit, Employment and Support
Allowance (ESA), is being introduced from 27th
October by the Department of Work and Pensions. This
new benefit will replace Incapacity Benefit for anyone aged 16 to
60 claiming benefit because they are unwell, if they are making a
claim for the first time.
The scheme is being run by Job Centre Plus; click here for a
link to their website and more information.
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers?WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_015412.xml.html
The scheme will focus on supporting people into work wherever
possible, using a Work Capability Assessment. There will be
two phases of ESA entitlement – the 'assessment' phase, when a
basic allowance will be paid, and the 'main' phase, when additional
components will be added to increase the weekly benefit paid.
The council will need to know about your claim to Employment and
Support Allowance, as this is an income that has to be taken into
account when working out your entitlement to housing or council tax
benefit.
Also from 27th October, changes are
being made which mean that any money paid to you for child
maintenance will be fully disregarded as income in the housing or
council tax benefit entitlement calculation. Currently, only £15 a
week is disregarded, with anything more being taken into account as
income, so this change could lead to an increase in housing or
council tax benefit entitlement.
From 6th October, the government
intends to change the rules on backdating of claims. The
maximum period of time that a claim for housing or council tax
benefit can be backdated will drop from 52 weeks to three
months. This change makes it even more important that you
claim benefit as soon as you need the help – do not put it off, as
you may lose benefit you could have been entitled to.
Finally – any one of pension age who makes a claim for Pension
Credit from October 2008 onwards will be able to
claim housing and council tax benefit at the same time over the
phone, without having to fill in and sign a separate claim
form. The Pension Service will assess entitlement to Pension
Credit first, then pass all the information they have - including
details of the Pension Credit entitlement – to the local authority
to assess housing and council tax benefit entitlement. (If
you pay rent to a private landlord – that is, you are not a council
tenant – you will still have to supply details of this to the
council, not the Pension Service). When the council has all
the information it needs, then your housing and council tax benefit
claim will be processed and you will be told in writing of your
entitlement.
To claim Pension Credit, phone the Pension Service on 0800 99
1234. Or visit www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/pensioncredit
for more information.
This webpage was updated on
10/2/2008