WELFARE BENEFIT CHANGES
WILL THIS AFFECT YOU?
WELFARE REFORM IS COMING...
SO DON’T BE AN OSTRICH AND
STICK YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND
WELFARE BENEFIT CHANGES
From April 2013 the Government will be making some big
changes to the welfare benefit system.
We know that many of you will be worried about what this could mean for
you and your family.
This booklet tells you:
•About the main changes
•How this might affect you
•What you can do to prepare
•Where to go for more help and advice
This booklet is the first in a series of information updates that we will be
sharing with our residents about the benefit changes and is correct at the
time of going to print. New information is being made available all the time.
Please look out for future issues of Home Matters for further updates.We
have also organised some road shows and ‘surgeries’ where our staff will
be on hand to offer advice and support to residents. Call us on 0800 923
2700 for details.
You can also visit our website at www.goldinghomes.org.uk for more
information, or keep in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter.
It is important that you start to prepare for the changes now,
to make sure that your rent is paid and you don’t put your
home at risk.
If you need this document translated or in a different format, large print,
Braille or audio, please contact our customer service centre on 0800 923
2700 or email us at [email protected]
COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT
Council tax benefit is changing. From April 2013, if you are of ‘working
age’ and claim council tax benefit you will need to pay more towards the
cost of council tax. If you have received 100% council tax benefit in the
past you will now have to pay 8.5% of your bill.
This is because the Government has decided that local councils will set
the rules for how council tax benefit is administered and also reduced
the funding for councils by about 10%.
Will I be affected?
Yes, if you are of working age.
When will this happen?
April 2013.
What can I do to prepare?
•Contact your local council for more information on how these changes will affect you
•Start putting a small amount by each week ready for the bill in April
•Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau for help and advice about budgeting.
www.goldinghomes.org.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 923 2700
UNDER-OCCUPATION
From April 2013 if you are of ‘working age’, in a housing association
owned property and have one or more ‘spare’ bedrooms, then your
housing benefit may be reduced.
You will be affected if:
•You are 16 to 61 years old
•You get any housing benefit, even if it’s a small amount
•You are disabled or in poor health.
You won’t be affected if:
•You live in a one bedroom property or bedsit
•You or your partner is aged 61 years and 6 months or older on
31 March 2013
•You part-own the property under a shared ownership lease.
When do these changes happen?
•April 2013.
What is a ‘spare’ bedroom?
The new rules mean that your rent for housing benefit will be based on
one bedroom for:
•Each adult couple
•Any other person aged 16 or over
•Two children of the same sex under the age of 16
•Two children under the age of ten regardless of their sex
•Any other child
•A carer (who does not normally live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care.
Foster children do not count as part of your household for benefit purposes.
It does not matter how the ‘spare’ bedroom is used, the new rules will
apply even if:
•You and your partner need to sleep apart because of a medical condition
•Your children mainly live at another address, but you have a spare room for when they stay with you.
Will I be allowed a spare bedroom if I have a disability?
The only time that housing benefit may be paid for a ‘spare’ bedroom due
to you or your partner’s disability is where:
•You have a carer who lives elsewhere, and
•You or your partner receive the middle or high rate care part of the disability living allowance and need overnight care, and the carer uses the
extra bedroom to stay overnight on a regular basis to provide care for you or your partner.
Please contact your local council for more information and advice. You can
find the contact details at the back of this booklet.
How much will I lose?
•If you have one spare bedroom and are in receipt of housing benefit then your benefit will be cut by 14% of the rent you pay each week
•If you have two or more spare bedrooms and are in receipt of housing benefit then your benefit will be cut by 25% of the rent you pay each week.
ONE OR MORE SPARE
ROOMS AND YOUR
HOUSING BENEFIT
WILL BE REDUCED!
it will be up to
Where your benefit has been cut
difference to stop
you to pay Golding Homes the
t payments.
you getting behind with your ren
www.goldinghomes.org.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 923 2700
Matt is single, aged 35 and lives in a two bedroom flat where the rent
is £75 a week. He lost his job recently and gets £75 a week housing benefit
to cover his rent; this gets paid directly to his landlord. He has access to his
daughter at weekends.
Under the new Government rules from April 2013 Matt will be living in a
property larger than he needs as his daughter does not live with him full time.
Matt’s rent is £75.00 per week which means that his housing benefit will be
reduced by £10.50 a week as he is under occupying his property. Matt will
have to pay the shortfall in the rent out of his Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Tapir and Rahim both
aged 55, live in a three bedroom
house. Their children have all
grown up and left the family
home. Their rent is £110 a week.
Tahir has worked all his life but
due to ill health he has had to give
up work and now claims disability
benefits. From April 2013, under
the new rules, Tapir and Rahim
will be living in a property larger
than they need.
This means their housing benefit
will be reduced by £27.50 a week
and they will have to pay more
of their rent themselves.
Gail is a single parent with
two teenage boys aged 13 and
15. She works part time and
gets a small amount of housing
benefit to help her pay her rent of
£90 a week. She lives in a three
bedroom house. According to the
Government from April 2013, Gail
will be living in a property larger
than she needs as her two sons
are both under 16.
Gail’s housing benefit will be reduced
by £12.60 a week and she will have
to find this extra money for her rent
out of her income.
Brenda is 66 years old and lives in a two bedroom flat. As Brenda is not
of ‘working age’ she will not be affected and there will be no changes to her
housing benefit entitlement.
What can I do to prepare?
Now is the time to get advice and take action. Here are some suggestions:
•Start paying a little extra on your rent each week
•Think about how you’ll pay the difference if your housing benefit is cut
•Make sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to
•Check your outgoings and see how you can manage with less money so that you can still pay the rent
•If you are working see if you can increase your hours so you are bringing in more money
•If you have adult children or other adult household members, you could ask them to pay more to help you pay your rent
•You might want to think about getting a lodger to use and pay for the spare room. It’s important to check first to see if your tenancy agreement
allows you to do this. Remember you are not allowed to sub-let your
entire property, but you could possibly let one of your bedrooms. It is
important that you get advice from your local council or Citizens Advice Bureau before making any decisions as it might affect your benefits.
•Move to a smaller home by finding someone to swap your property with. This can be done online by registering with Homeswapper,
a national database of tenants looking to exchange their homes. Kent Homechoice, run by the local council also provides opportunities for swapping your home – go to www.kenthomechoice.org.uk
START LOOKING
AFTER YOUR
FINANCES
www.goldinghomes.org.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 923 2700
THE BENEFIT CAP
The Government plans to put a weekly limit on the total amount a
household can receive in benefits by September 2013. This is called
the benefit cap.
The cap is set at:
£500
per week for
single parents
£500
per week for
couples with or
without children
£350
per week for
single people
The Government will add up how much money you get from the
following benefits:
•Housing benefit
•Jobseeker’s allowance
•Employment & support allowance (unless it includes the support component)
•Child benefit
•Child tax credit
•Carer’s allowance
•Income support
•Maternity allowance
•Incapacity benefit
•Severe disablement allowance
•Guardian’s allowance
•Widowed parent’s allowance
•Bereavement allowance
When will this happen?
Between April and September 2013.
Will I be affected?
The cap is likely to affect a small number of households receiving benefits.
You won’t be affected if:
•You have reached pension age (61½ years old before April 2013)
•You have been working for at least the last 12 months but have lost your job through no fault of your own (for example through redundancy), the benefit cap may not apply to your claim for the first nine months
•You, your partner or children get disability living allowance,
personal independence payment, attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance, or the support component of employment
and support allowance
•You or your partner are entitled to or in receipt of working tax credit. To check your entitlement to working tax credit contact HM Revenue and Customs Tax Credits on 0345 300 3900 or visit www.hmrc.gov.uk
•You receive a war pension.
£500
per week for
single parents
£500
per week for
couples with or
without children
£350
per week for
single people
nsions will be
The Department of Work and Pe
o might be
contacting those households wh
affected by the benefit cap.
www.goldinghomes.org.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 923 2700
Sheila & George’s Story
Sheila and George currently get £454 a week in jobseeker’s
allowance, child benefit and child tax credit for themselves and their four
children. They live in a Golding Homes property where the rent is £90 a week
and they currently receive £90 a week in housing benefit to help them pay for
this. This means that their total benefit awards are £544 per week.
At the moment their housing benefit is paid directly to their landlord on their
behalf but will be affected by the benefit cap when it starts. They will continue
to receive the £454 a week but their housing benefit will drop to £46 a week.
This means that their landlord will only be sent £46 a week towards the rent
of £90. Sheila and George will need to find £44 a week themselves out of
their £454 benefits to pay the difference in their rent to Golding Homes.
What can I do to prepare?
Now is the time to get advice and take action. Here are some suggestions:
•Work out if you will be affected and by how much. You can find this out online at www.gov.uk or speak to one of our Neighbourhood Advisors
•Start to budget now to make sure you are able to pay your rent so that you don’t get into arrears and risk losing your home
•Try to find work as this will give you more money and will also mean you might be able to get Working Tax Credit and not be affected by the total benefit cap
•Get some help and advice with managing your money or debts now. You can find contact details of organisations which can help you at the back of this booklet.
Pensions and the
The Department for Work and
g people who might
local councils will be contactin
be affected by the benefit cap.
UNIVERSAL CREDIT
The Government wants to make the benefit system simpler. Only one claim
will need to be made, and only one payment made. The payment will be
paid monthly in arrears directly into your bank account, so it’s important
you budget for your money to last the whole month.
When will this happen?
October 2013 - for new claims
April 2014 - 2017 for existing claims.
Who will be affected?
Universal Credit will affect households of ‘working age’ who claim in
work and out of work benefits, including Income Support; Income based
Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance, Housing
Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
What can I do to prepare?
•Open a bank account so that payments can be made directly to you
•Set up an email account as you will be expected to make your
claim online
•Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau for help and advice on managing your money.
This will come into
effect in October
2013
for all new claims
and April 2014 - 20
17 for
existing claims.
www.goldinghomes.org.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 923 2700
WHERE CAN I GET HELP?
Golding Homes
If you are worried about the changes and not being able to afford to pay
your rent from April 2013, you should ask for help and advice now:
•Contact one of our Neighbourhood Advisors who will be able to talk
to you about the benefit changes and help you make the best choices for you
•They will be able to talk to you about the ways you can pay your rent
•They will also put you in touch with other organisations that can
help you.
Call us on 0800 923 2700 or email [email protected]
Visit our website at www.goldinghomes.org.uk
Need help finding a job?
Golding Homes is keen to help its
residents find employment. Our
Employment Advisor can give you advice
on filling in job application forms, writing
a CV and preparing for an interview.
Our Advisor can also access funding
and accredited training for you. Drop
in sessions are held at the Residents
Resource Centre in Shepway every
Thursday between 2- 4pm to support
residents who are looking for work. You
can also talk to your local Jobcentre Plus
about training and work opportunities.
Please contact our Employment Advisor
on 0800 923 2700.
Thinking about
moving home?
Please contact Golding
Homes if you need
advice or help in
exchanging your
home or moving to
a smaller property.
Worried about managing your money?
•For budgeting advice go to www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk,
and for a personal action plan go to – www.mymoneysteps.org
•For help and advice with your debts contact the National Debtline
on 0808 808 4000 (www.nationaldebtline.co.uk) or StepChange
Debt Charity 0800 138 1111 (www.stepchange.org) for free independent advice
Want to know what
benefits you are
entitled to?
•Make sure you are claiming all the benefits you can. For example, money to help with the cost of a disability. For more information go to
www.gov.uk
•Contact your local council to see if you would be entitled to extra financial help as they have a limited amount of money available to make ‘discretionary’ payments towards housing costs.
Priority may be given to those with a disability and your house has been adapted, or
if you are a foster parent
•Talk to your local Citizens Advice Bureau for more advice.
Department for Work and
Pensions
If you are concerned about
how the benefit cap or universal
credit might affect you, please
call the Department for Work
and Pensions helpline number
0845 605 7064, or textphone
0845 608 8551 for people with
hearing or speech impairments.
www.goldinghomes.org.uk
FREEPHONE 0800 923 2700
USEFUL CONTACTS
General advice
Maidstone Citizens Advice Bureau
2 Bower Terrace, Tonbridge Road, Maidstone ME16 8RY
T: 01622 752420/757882 E: [email protected]
W: www.maidstonecab.org.uk
Tonbridge and Malling Citizens Advice Bureau
Larkfield Library, Martin Square, Larkfield, ME20 6QW
T: 01732 440488 W: www.tonbridgecab.org.uk
Ashford Citizens Advice Bureau
Church Road, Ashford Kent TN23 1RDT
T: 01233 626185 W: www.ashfordcab.org.uk
Shelter Kent Housing Aid
Bull Yard, High Street, Ashford TN24 8SN
T: 0344 515 1444 E: [email protected]
Shelter Kent (North) Housing Aid
12-16 Ordnance Street, Chatham ME4 6SL
T: 0344 515 1740 E: [email protected]
Housing Benefits and Council Tax
Maidstone Borough Council
Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, ME15 6JQ
Housing Benefit T: 01622 602557 Council Tax T: 01622 602003
E: [email protected] W: www.maidstone.gov.uk
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
Gibson Drive, West Malling, ME19 4LZ
T: 01732 844522 E: [email protected]
W: www.tmbc.gov.uk
Ashford Borough Council
Tannery Lane, Ashford, TN23 1PL
T: 01233 331111 E: [email protected]
W: www.ashford.gov.uk
Employment
Maidstone Jobcentre Plus
County Gate One, Stacey’s Street, Maidstone, ME14 1ST
T: 0845 604 3719 Textphone: 0845 608 8551
Managing Money
National Debtline
T: 0808 808 4000 W: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Money Advice Service – for independent financial advice
T: 0300 500 5000 W: www.moneyadviceservice.co.uk
Online benefit calculator - www.entitledtofortenants.co.uk
Roadshows & Surgeries
Come and talk to our Neighbourhood Advisors about the benefit changes.
Shepway Resource Centre
Northumberland Road, Mondays 9am – 12.30pm
Fusion Café
Parkwood, Thursdays 9am – 12.30pm
For the latest details about our roadshows and ‘surgeries’ go to
www.goldinghomes.org.uk or call us on FREEPHONE 0800 923 270.
Golding Homes
d, Maidstone ME16 0LS
Whatman House, St Leonard’s Roa
nghomes.org.uk
T: 0800 923 2700 E: enquiries@goldi
W: www.goldinghomes.org.uk
facebook.com/goldinghomes
@goldinghomes
T: 0800 923 2700 E: [email protected]
W: www.goldinghomes.org.uk
facebook.com/goldinghomes
@goldinghomes
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Golding Homes, Whatman House, St. Leonard’s Road,
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Printed January 2013