At wits end with sheffield council

[herbalharry 10]

Do the Council really give housing and council tax subsidies for traders not earning enough?

I've heard of small business rate relief but council tax is a tax on the home not the business.

 

Shefflad, depends on last years profit...if you work from home part or full time you can get tax relief aswell as housing benefit.

 

---------- Post added 18-01-2016 at 11:22 ----------

 

tapered....so you might get a little bit. S'ppose the idea is it helps the small trader get through the initial rocky stages. Its not a long term fix.

 

---------- Post added 18-01-2016 at 11:24 ----------

 

Get in touch with your MP you will be surprised how quickly, they will ring you.

 

thanks BHremovals, I have done that today..hopefully I will get somewhere.

[Hesther 10]

Do The Star still have an Action Desk that can help you with this sort of thing? I know they used to.

[Janus 28]

Do the Council really give housing and council tax subsidies for traders not earning enough?

I've heard of small business rate relief but council tax is a tax on the home not the business.

 

Surely housing benefit and council tax benefit is awarded depending on the amount of income a person gets, not the source. I got the impression that the OP is trying to get HB & CTB for his home..?

[999tigger 10]

1. If you need to speak to the Council on he phone then you need to be ringing them at 9am before it gets busy or whenever the phones open.

 

2. As said above its preferable if you go to Howden House with all your documents. Each time you visit make sure you have the name of the person you dealt with and that they record your concern on your file.

 

 

3. Are you sure you are after Housing benefit and Council tax benefit, which is to do with your home and is income based rather than small business tax relief? I will assume you are.

 

3.1 Go to Howden House anyway and see what they want. id expect them to sort it out so you no longer have to worry. As long as its on record, then youll have proof you were trying to sort the situation out.

3.2 I'd think a visit to Shelter just down the road next door to what used to be Redgates, Co op, TK Maxx and see if you can get a benefit calculation. Alternatively go to CAB. they may contact the Council for you, but if they give you an estimate, then I would pay that amount on account. Obviously you are going to have to pay something.

 

3.3 If you persevere you will be able to sort it out. Dont worry about it, the letters are just standard. Vy showing you are willing to pay something preferably based on the calculation by Shelter or CAB, then that will protect you.

 

If you cant get it sorted out by following the above, then repost on here.

 

Theres a ready reckoner here

 

https://taxbenefits.sheffield.gov.uk/eGovHub/Viewer/Org/Production/Apps/HBCalculatorPaged/Launch.aspx

Edited January 18, 2016 by 999tigger

[Cpt7 10]

Shefflad, depends on last years profit...if you work from home part or full time you can get tax relief aswell as housing benefit.

 

---------- Post added 18-01-2016 at 11:22 ----------

 

tapered....so you might get a little bit. S'ppose the idea is it helps the small trader get through the initial rocky stages. Its not a long term fix.

 

---------- Post added 18-01-2016 at 11:24 ----------

 

 

thanks BHremovals, I have done that today..hopefully I will get somewhere.

 

The phone lines are busy at certain times, ie lunch and after 4pm, but it is generally quite easy to get through to them.

 

If there is any proof they have requseted that you dont have yet, just write a simple statement and hand it in , they will accept that. Also they will be able to give you a trial calculation letting you know how much you will be eligable for , you can then make a payment for the amount you are left to pay.

[Nicotrod 10]

If you call, select option 3 from the first menu and option 5 from the second. That way you'll get through to a real person who can discuss your Housing benefit account before transferring you to a council tax advisor.

[herbalharry 10]

1. If you need to speak to the Council on he phone then you need to be ringing them at 9am before it gets busy or whenever the phones open.

 

2. As said above its preferable if you go to Howden House with all your documents. Each time you visit make sure you have the name of the person you dealt with and that they record your concern on your file.

 

 

3. Are you sure you are after Housing benefit and Council tax benefit, which is to do with your home and is income based rather than small business tax relief? I will assume you are.

 

3.1 Go to Howden House anyway and see what they want. id expect them to sort it out so you no longer have to worry. As long as its on record, then youll have proof you were trying to sort the situation out.

3.2 I'd think a visit to Shelter just down the road next door to what used to be Redgates, Co op, TK Maxx and see if you can get a benefit calculation. Alternatively go to CAB. they may contact the Council for you, but if they give you an estimate, then I would pay that amount on account. Obviously you are going to have to pay something.

 

3.3 If you persevere you will be able to sort it out. Dont worry about it, the letters are just standard. Vy showing you are willing to pay something preferably based on the calculation by Shelter or CAB, then that will protect you.

 

If you cant get it sorted out by following the above, then repost on here.

 

Theres a ready reckoner here

 

https://taxbenefits.sheffield.gov.uk/eGovHub/Viewer/Org/Production/Apps/HBCalculatorPaged/Launch.aspx

 

Thanks all! It's so amazing to have a resource like this. You don't know what it means to me! Will let you know outcome. Thanks again!

[hamatik 10]

It's worth speaking to them about council tax a few times as well. Each person you talk to gives you a different answer and a different amount. So just keep canvassing all the staff until you find the one who gives you the best offer, then take them up on it.

[SueLee 10]

The benefits sections are inundated at the moment after they finally linked their computers up to HMRC towards the end of last year, after many years of trying. Apparently it is throwing out thousands of suspicious benefit claims, and everyone suspected is getting accused of fraud with the onus on them to prove otherwise. An amazing number of pensioners are getting accused because they haven't reported private and government benefit increases every April - despite the fact that housing offices have been telling people there is no need to do this for at least the past three years. I know one person who has been very close to suicide after receiving a frightening letter, and has been ordered to repay a sum around three times the amount they gained in pension increases. Also being targeted are people who claimed pension credits after visits from the council a few years ago. Many were told at the time there was no need to report these credits to the housing benefits office. Maybe the council were nicer in those days ?

[herbalharry 10]

The benefits sections are inundated at the moment after they finally linked their computers up to HMRC towards the end of last year, after many years of trying. Apparently it is throwing out thousands of suspicious benefit claims, and everyone suspected is getting accused of fraud with the onus on them to prove otherwise. An amazing number of pensioners are getting accused because they haven't reported private and government benefit increases every April - despite the fact that housing offices have been telling people there is no need to do this for at least the past three years. I know one person who has been very close to suicide after receiving a frightening letter, and has been ordered to repay a sum around three times the amount they gained in pension increases. Also being targeted are people who claimed pension credits after visits from the council a few years ago. Many were told at the time there was no need to report these credits to the housing benefits office. Maybe the council were nicer in those days ?

 

Strange because I was asked for information which would have been easy to verify with hmrc. It appeared that they were in the dark....maybe teething problems.?

 

---------- Post added 19-01-2016 at 20:10 ----------

 

Close to suicide isn't good, I hope they got sorted out in the end?

 

---------- Post added 21-01-2016 at 14:31 ----------

 

UPDATE

 

After going through MP the council called me and are willing to review.

 

I still cant get through to council tax to sort, but ive paid some of that off online yesterday. Hopefully they wont take my ass to court!