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Life Spugs because...

Started by Dog Deever, 04 March, 2009, 08:00:25 PM

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House of Usher

I've been off work since mid-June. I put in a claim for council tax benefit to save myself about £100 a month until I get back to work again in the autumn. However, the council still haven't processed the claim because they are insisting upon supporting documentation.

Because my partner is self-employed they want to see her accounts for the past year (which she hasn't done yet because they aren't needed for her tax return until January 2010). When we informed the council of the fact, and said it's irrelevant anyway because she only earns £xxxx per year and hasn't earned more than £20 per week since the end of June, they asked instead to see proof of all her business-related expenses (which are immaterial because her earnings have all but ceased) and asked her to fill in a proof of earnings from self-employment form, which asks for all the same information she would need to have done her accounts in order to provide. Effectively they are asking to see a pile of receipts for stationery amounting to approx £600 - when our claim for council tax benefit is essentially predicated upon neither of us working between June and September, and hence having no earned income! If we are entitled to council tax benefit anyway, what difference does it make if she earned £10,000 or £12,000 for the year, or if she claimed £300 or £1,200 for tax-deductible expenses?

Reflect, for a moment, upon what it is costing the council, and hence tax payers, to chase up and then scrutinise my partner's accounts, and photocopy and leaf through her receipts, only to decide "you are entitled to full council tax benefit because neither you nor your partner is working."
STRIKE !!!

House of Usher

Just to clarify: she states that she has claimed £600 expenditure against tax. They demand to see the receipts. She gives them a pile of between 50 to 120 receipts. They have to go through them and add them all up. Then they say "yep - added them all up, and it comes to £600 like you said." To check her calculations for business use of home tax allowance, they need to see our mortgage statement, home insurance, 12 months' gas, electricity, telephone and broadband bills. Then they disregard the information they've devoted so much effort to collecting and just give us the council tax benefit we're entitled to because we're signing on for Jobseekers' Allowance. The Department of Work and Pensions has already collected sufficient evidence from us (not including her receipts or accounts) to establish our entitlement to benefit.

Because her business is so small, the Inland Revenue is happy to take her word for business expenses with a signed declaration.
STRIKE !!!

Peter Wolf

Now why am i not surprised by that account of wasteful and unnecessary govt bereaucracy ?

Oh and whatever happened about the MPs expenses scam ?

Nothing.Just like i expected.
Worthing Bazaar - A fete worse than death

Roger Godpleton

I bought some pens but the lids don't fit properly on the end. What the FUCK is up with that?
He's only trying to be what following how his dreams make you wanna be, man!

Old Tankie

As I understand it, Ush, contribution-based job seekers allowance is not means tested, whereas council tax benefit most certainly is.  The fact that you are trying to claim two different benefits, one means tested and one not, will surely delay things, as your local council has to check thoroughly that you are entitled to a means tested benefit.

There is a non-contribution-based job seekers allowance, which is means tested but I assume that neither you nor your partner are claiming that, as you have said before that you have both worked in the past and would presumably have paid National Insurance stamp.

I totally agree with your council making thorough checks before paying out a means tested benefit and those checks can be completely different from other government departments, therefore the delay.

House of Usher

#545
As it happens, my local Job Centre seems to think that because self-employed people pay Class 2 and Class 4 contributions they can only receive means-tested Jobseekers' Allowance, and not contributions-based. They also tell us that as a couple we can't have a claim that is part-contributions and part means-tested, so our joint claim has to be for means-tested Jobseekers'. The Job Centre seems to be satisfied of our means, but the council isn't, despite having been given the same information. Now they are seeking evidence of her expenses claims (not her earnings) for a period wholly outside the period being claimed for, presumably to establish that she doesn't have capital worth more than £16,000. She doesn't. We've said she doesn't. They want to count up her receipts to make sure. The chances of them coming to more than £16,000 are pretty slim, and I think if we were trying to defraud them we'd have left out receipts for any purchases that exceeded £16,000. I think what they're trying to do is trip up those criminal geniuses who not only neglect to conceal their major purchases when claiming benefit, but also declare them for tax purposes.
STRIKE !!!

Banners

...of BSOD error STOP: 0x00000007B (0xF78CE528, 0xc00000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000).

M@

Roger Godpleton

He's only trying to be what following how his dreams make you wanna be, man!

House of Usher

Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 10 August, 2009, 12:31:59 AM
Mum hid the bagles.

Oh no! That's harsh. And on top of the thing with the pen lids too. Life can be so cruel.

;)
STRIKE !!!

Roger Godpleton

Um, yeah. That was kinda the whole point of the joke.

And besides, there is no "Life is riddled with a procession of minor impediments" thread and I'm certainly not starting one.

;) or whatever.

PS I'm not actually upset
He's only trying to be what following how his dreams make you wanna be, man!

House of Usher

#550
Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 10 August, 2009, 12:52:31 AM
PS I'm not actually upset

I KNOW !!

Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 10 August, 2009, 12:52:31 AM
And besides, there is no "Life is riddled with a procession of minor impediments" thread and I'm certainly not starting one.

I'm disappointed. That I would like to see.

:-X or whatever.
STRIKE !!!

Minkyboy

Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 10 August, 2009, 12:31:59 AM
Mum hid the bagles.

Is it just me or does that sound all kinds of wrong?

Fiddling while Rome burns

"is being made a brain in a jar a lot more comen than I think it is." - Cyberleader2000

House of Usher

Quote from: Minkyboy on 10 August, 2009, 11:16:28 AM
Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 10 August, 2009, 12:31:59 AM
Mum hid the bagles.

Is it just me or does that sound all kinds of wrong?



It does sound all sorts of wrong. The mind fairly boggles as to what dire purpose Godpleton wanted the bagless (vacuum cleaner?) for. Something exceedingly pervy, I'm sure. Explains why his mum might have hidden it.

:o
STRIKE !!!

I, Cosh

Quote from: House of Usher on 10 August, 2009, 12:03:55 PM
Quote from: Minkyboy on 10 August, 2009, 11:16:28 AM
Quote from: Roger Godpleton on 10 August, 2009, 12:31:59 AM
Mum hid the bagles.
Is it just me or does that sound all kinds of wrong?
It does sound all sorts of wrong. The mind fairly boggles as to what dire purpose Godpleton wanted the bagless (vacuum cleaner?) for. Something exceedingly pervy, I'm sure. Explains why his mum might have hidden it.

:o
I think you've got the wrong end of the stick there Ush. Godpleton's mum didn't want the light of her life wandering round town like a painted whore attracting the unwanted attention of scrawny lads with starchy grins and big dogs. That's why she hid all the bangles.
We never really die.

worldshown

Quote from: The Cosh on 10 August, 2009, 08:43:59 PM
That's why she hid all the bangles.

What? Even Susanna Hoffs?