Monday 2 November 2009

RULE CHANGES COULD MEAN MORE HELP

New government rules, which come into effect from today (Monday 2 November), will provide much needed extra help for some families and elderly people in Thanet, struggling to make ends meet.

Child benefit is now no longer to be taken into account as income when Housing or Council Tax Benefit are calculated. This means that, for those already on these benefits, they may receive more money in the future. For those who don't qualify at present, they may be entitled to claim either benefit in the future.

The other change is that people over the age of 60 can now have a higher level of savings before it affects their benefits calculation. Previously, the maximum amount of savings you could have before it affected your claims was £6,000, but this has now risen to £10,000.

Carol Gray, Revenues and Benefits Manager, said: "These changes could mean that, if you're not getting help at the moment, then you may be able to under these new rules, so it's worth checking if you're missing out on something you're entitled to. If you're already receiving Housing or Council Tax Benefit, the changes will be made to your claim shortly and you will be notified of the change."

To find out whether you could be eligible to claim under the new rules, contact the council on 01843 577552.

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