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Will I get into trouble because I haven't told housing benefit about my job yet?

I'm living in supported accommodation (shared accommodation for people with mental health problems etc).

The rent and bills were only £30 a week with housing benefit, however they said if you work more than 16 hours this can go up.

I'm currently working 20 hours. I've told the benefits office, but forgot to tell housing benefit. I know that if you work but don't tell the benefits office and claim too much at the same time, you can go to prison for that.

I need to tell housing benefit in a letter how much I earn per week, if I tell them when I started the job (last month) - will this be okay? Because at least I've told them when I started even if it was later than sooner.

I don't care if they do sanctions or stop my benefit or whatever, I just really don't want to go to court/prison - am I just worrying too much?
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 1
Original post by Maya memsaab
I'm living in supported accommodation (shared accommodation for people with mental health problems etc).

The rent and bills were only £30 a week with housing benefit, however they said if you work more than 16 hours this can go up.

I'm currently working 20 hours. I've told the benefits office, but forgot to tell housing benefit. I know that if you work but don't tell the benefits office and claim too much at the same time, you can go to prison for that.

I need to tell housing benefit in a letter how much I earn per week, if I tell them when I started the job (last month) - will this be okay? Because at least I've told them when I started even if it was later than sooner.

I don't care if they do sanctions or stop my benefit or whatever, I just really don't want to go to court/prison - am I just worrying too much?


You're definitely worrying way too much. You will not go to Court/prison for this.
Original post by Ciel.
You're definitely worrying way too much. You will not go to Court/prison for this.

I hope so!
Reply 3
Original post by Maya memsaab
I hope so!


I guarantee that. But tell them as soon as possible. Now go to bed, it's late, lol.
Reply 4
Original post by Maya memsaab
I'm living in supported accommodation (shared accommodation for people with mental health problems etc).

The rent and bills were only £30 a week with housing benefit, however they said if you work more than 16 hours this can go up.

I'm currently working 20 hours. I've told the benefits office, but forgot to tell housing benefit. I know that if you work but don't tell the benefits office and claim too much at the same time, you can go to prison for that.

I need to tell housing benefit in a letter how much I earn per week, if I tell them when I started the job (last month) - will this be okay? Because at least I've told them when I started even if it was later than sooner.

I don't care if they do sanctions or stop my benefit or whatever, I just really don't want to go to court/prison - am I just worrying too much?


You won't go to prison. If you were paid too much benefit then they may ask you to pay it back or give you a sanction. Don't worry they probably already know, you'll probably get a letter from them but tell them anyway.
A month isn't a long time. You should have told them of course but worse case scenario would be backdating additional rent or possibly a benefit sanction.
Original post by Maya memsaab
I'm living in supported accommodation (shared accommodation for people with mental health problems etc).

The rent and bills were only £30 a week with housing benefit, however they said if you work more than 16 hours this can go up.

I'm currently working 20 hours. I've told the benefits office, but forgot to tell housing benefit. I know that if you work but don't tell the benefits office and claim too much at the same time, you can go to prison for that.

I need to tell housing benefit in a letter how much I earn per week, if I tell them when I started the job (last month) - will this be okay? Because at least I've told them when I started even if it was later than sooner.

I don't care if they do sanctions or stop my benefit or whatever, I just really don't want to go to court/prison - am I just worrying too much?


Do realise you could lose HB £ for £ so anything extra could be cancelled out by loss of HB.

Just go into the HB office an tell them you have a change in circumstances and you have been increase to 20hours from 16 since X date plus what your earnings are. tell them you have already informed JS+ and were unsure whether they would inform HB so you are doing so to make sure they know.


Read the advice and amend the template from Shelter. hand it in at the HB office and get it logged, then that will give you peace of mind.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/housing_benefit/changes_in_circumstances_affecting_housing_benefit

Do that and you will have nothing to worry about. they will simply do a recalculation and claim the excess back.
Original post by Maya memsaab
I'm living in supported accommodation (shared accommodation for people with mental health problems etc).

The rent and bills were only £30 a week with housing benefit, however they said if you work more than 16 hours this can go up.

I'm currently working 20 hours. I've told the benefits office, but forgot to tell housing benefit. I know that if you work but don't tell the benefits office and claim too much at the same time, you can go to prison for that.

I need to tell housing benefit in a letter how much I earn per week, if I tell them when I started the job (last month) - will this be okay? Because at least I've told them when I started even if it was later than sooner.

I don't care if they do sanctions or stop my benefit or whatever, I just really don't want to go to court/prison - am I just worrying too much?


Please don't worry. You won't get in trouble and you certainly won't go to prison. The important thing, as other posters have said, is to inform them now as soon as you can, and put your mind at rest.

The Shelter link @999tigger gave you is very good. I'd echo their advice to amend the template letter it gives. I'd also recommend looking up the contact details of your local authority's housing benefit office, as described on the link, and using the email address if there is one. It can be the fastest and easiest way of communicating with them.

What will happen next is that your housing benefit will be recalculated. You will probably then receive less housing benefit going forward, and will have to increase your contribution to your supported accommodation. You will likely be deemed to have an overpayment, i.e. an amount of money that has been paid to your supported accommodation by housing benefit between the date of your change of circumstances and the date of the recalculation, which should instead have been paid by you according to the recalculation. This should all be laid out very clearly in a letter.

You will have to pay back the overpayment amount, but can do so slowly and affordably. Please don't worry about any lasting effects of this - there aren't any. Overpayments are common, and not a big deal. Most likely, they will deduct some money from your ongoing HB as described here in §4.60.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696191/hbopg-part-4-recovery-of-overpayments.pdf
The letter you will receive should again clearly describe the resulting amount you will have to pay to your supported accommodation, taking into account the recalculation and the deduction for the overpayment. The maximum they should deduct is £10.95 per week as described in §4.260, and if they initially suggest more you can contact them and ask them to reduce it to this.
Original post by stardarks
Please don't worry. You won't get in trouble and you certainly won't go to prison. The important thing, as other posters have said, is to inform them now as soon as you can, and put your mind at rest.

The Shelter link @999tigger gave you is very good. I'd echo their advice to amend the template letter it gives. I'd also recommend looking up the contact details of your local authority's housing benefit office, as described on the link, and using the email address if there is one. It can be the fastest and easiest way of communicating with them.

What will happen next is that your housing benefit will be recalculated. You will probably then receive less housing benefit going forward, and will have to increase your contribution to your supported accommodation. You will likely be deemed to have an overpayment, i.e. an amount of money that has been paid to your supported accommodation by housing benefit between the date of your change of circumstances and the date of the recalculation, which should instead have been paid by you according to the recalculation. This should all be laid out very clearly in a letter.

You will have to pay back the overpayment amount, but can do so slowly and affordably. Please don't worry about any lasting effects of this - there aren't any. Overpayments are common, and not a big deal. Most likely, they will deduct some money from your ongoing HB as described here in §4.60.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696191/hbopg-part-4-recovery-of-overpayments.pdf
The letter you will receive should again clearly describe the resulting amount you will have to pay to your supported accommodation, taking into account the recalculation and the deduction for the overpayment. The maximum they should deduct is £10.95 per week as described in §4.260, and if they initially suggest more you can contact them and ask them to reduce it to this.

Thanks for the advice, I spoke to the lady today actually and it was all okay 😊

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