Benefits Update

What does non-dependant mean?
A non-dependant is someone who is deemed to be financially independent from your household. This is most commonly an adult child who works, or an adult child over 25 who receives benefit direct to themselves.

How much will I have to pay?
The new levels of non-dependant deductions (the amount of rent or council tax you cannot claim benefit for because you have a non-dependant living with you) are shown in the following tables. There are separate tables for housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Please click on the link below to view the new deductions

NDD Fact Sheet (56 KB)

The way benefits are calulated has recently changed and you may be entitled to more benefits. We have listed the main changes below.

Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit

Child Benefit no longer counted as income

From November this year Child Benefit is no longer going to be counted as income for Housing & Council Tax Benefit claims. For existing claimants this change should be automatically calculated by your local Council. If you have just missed out on getting Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit previously, it may be worth re-applying. We believe that this change will particularly help people with children who currently receive part Housing & Council Tax Benefit.

Child Maintenance payments not counted as income

Prior to October 2008 any maintenance payments received for children were included as income when assessing Housing & Council Tax benefit. Since October 2008 this money no longer counts as income. If you previously tried to claim benefits and were over the threshold for help because you received maintenance payments, please check again because this could make a big difference to your income. Wherry recently helped a lady claim £35 per week she did not realise she was entitled to.

Working Tax Credit

Single people and couples can qualify

Many of our customers are not aware that you do not have to have children to qualify for Tax Credits. If you are over 25 and work more than 30 hours per week you might qualify, as the example below shows:-

Single man aged 25 earning minimum wage (£5.80 per hour from October 2009)

working 40 hours per week could qualify for £10.05 per week Working Tax Credit
working 35 hours per week could qualify for £21.19 per week Working Tax Credit
working 30 hours per week could qualify for £32.34 per week Working Tax Credit

Pension Credit, Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit

Savings threshold increased for people who have reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit

From November this year the savings threshold has been increased from £6,000 to £10,000. This change will result in an increase in Pension Credit for some customers, whilst other customers may receive extra Housing & Council Tax Benefits. Where customers have more than the savings threshold, Pension Credit & Housing & Council Tax Benefit calculate that you will receive (whether you do or not) a certain amount of income from your savings. Increasing the savings threshold will mean more of your savings are discounted when your entitlement is assessed.

Problems with Debts

Wherry can provide you with free money advice – either through our own Money Advisors who work in the Income Team, or through a special agreement we have we the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Our in-house advisors will book an appointment to see you in your own home, at a time convenient for you, to talk through the options available to deal with your debts. This service has already helped over 200 customers deal with debts in excess of £2.5 million.

Alternatively, Wherry’s agreement with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) means that we can refer you direct to them. The CAB will then telephone you to talk through the best way to manage your problems.

Both Wherry and the CAB can also advise you if the new Debt Relief Order scheme that came into force in April this year, is an option for you. This might be the case if you have debts under £15,000, less than £50 per month in excess income and have no major assets availabale to sell to repay your debts. Debt Relief Orders are a significant new way in which people can manage their debts without going bankrupt.

• For a referral to either scheme please speak to your Income Officer on 01603 703583, freephone (from landlines) 0800 0132327, text us on 07797 805631, or e-mail us at wherryincometeam@circleanglia.org. If your home is managed by our Cambridge office please ring 01223 202700, local-rate 08457 660344, text us 07797 805627 or e-mail us at cambridgeincometeam@circleanglia.org*.

Home Contents Insurance

Many of our customers are unaware that we can offer low cost Home Contents Insurance. The scheme starts from just £3.69 per month for £9,000 cover and in addition to the contents of your home also covers things like accidental damage, the contents of outbuildings, contents whilst household members are at university, documents insurance, and lost keys and lock changes. For full details please ask any member of staff for a leaflet.

Check For Benefits Online

• Wherry has a comprehensive welfare benefits calculator on its website. To check to see if you are claiming all you can, please visit www.circleanglia.org/benefitsor ring the Income Team on 01603 703583, freephone (from landlines) 0800 0132327, text us on 07797 805631, or e-mail us at wherryincometeam@circleanglia.org. If your home is managed by our Cambridge office please ring 01223 202700, local-rate 08457 660344, text us 07797 805627 or e-mail us at cambridgeincometeam@circleanglia.org*.

Last modified 24/02/11