Council making a mistake & terminating my tenant`s housing benefit claim and punishing me:
15/09/2014: I gave section 8 notice to my housing benefit tenant.
24/09/2014: Tenant phoned the council that they had been served a section 8 notice on 15th September and that once evicted they would need their help in getting new accommodation.
24/09/2014: Immediately council suspended the claim in the mistaken belief that they were actually evicted on 15th September. I was not informed of this decision even though payment is being made direct into my account.
24/09/2014: council sent a claim form for tenant to complete. When the tenant phoned council as to why they needed to fill up this form when they were still resident there. They were told that they would need it when they find a new accommodation. For now they just need a confirmation from the landlord that tenant is still resident there. Tenant thought that I knew about this and did not inform me.
25/09/14: Council sent me a letter saying that there has been a change in tenant`s financial circumstances and a revised amount would be paid direct into my account.
29/09/14: Council sent me another saying that there has been a change in tenant`s financial circumstances and a revised amount would be paid direct into my account.
13/10/14: I had no reason to believe that council had actually suspended the claim. But when I looked into my bank account online I noticed that council had not deposited the benefit money due on that date.
13/10/14: I sent an e mail to the council to find out as to why money was not deposited into my account.
13/10/14: Council replied that they had the information that the tenant was to be evicted on 15th September and that they wanted a confirmation both from the tenant and the landlord that the tenant was still resident there. Obviously the council does not understand that actual eviction does not happen on the day of notice. It takes time.
26/10/14: I sent by e mail 2 scanned copies of confirmations from (1) tenant` s partner who is also a mother of his 2 children and (2) me that the tenant is still resident there. I could not get the confirmation from the tenant as he was not around.
10/11/14: I was under the impression that another payment due that day would be deposited into my account. But that did not happen.
10/11/14: I was able to get a confirmation letter from the tenant and sent a copy of this to the council.
16/11/14: I have got a feeling that council has terminated the claim and I would lose a substantial amount of housing benefit for 4 to 5 months. Please advise course of action. Council has made a mistake and punishing me. Tenant wont cooperative to fill up a new claim form to reinstate the claim as he has already been serves an eviction notice. I am waiting for the court hearing date and hence the actual eviction is still 3 to 4 months away.
