Frequently Asked Questions
We are working hard to make our service better for our customers. Between the 5th August and 26th September 2011 we will be moving our records to a new computer system. We are doing all we can to minimise disruption and to maintain a high level of service during this period.
Can I still claim Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit between the 5th August and 26th September while you are changing from the old to the new system?
Yes, you will still be able to claim Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit.
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Where can I claim?
Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit can be claimed on-line from your own home by accessing the ‘Apply For It’ page on Wigan Council’s website. You can also claim at Council Tax Offices, Whelley, at your Local Life Centre and also through your landlord if you rent your home from Wigan and Leigh Housing or a Registered Social Landlord. If you need help completing an on-line form, please visit your local Life Centre where one of our advisors will be able to help you.
We will still be able to check claims that are submitted, so you need to provide your supporting evidence as normal. This can be taken to your local Life Centre, Council Tax Offices or any Wigan and Leigh Housing area office.
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How will I know how much rent to pay?
You can check how much benefit you may be entitled to by accessing www.quickcalc.co.uk/wigan. You can then use this information to discuss with your landlord how much rent you may need to pay until we can assess your claim.
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What if my rent payments fall into arrears?
If you are a Wigan and Leigh Housing Tenant, please call their Contact Centre on 01942 705040. A rents officer will then contact you.
If you have a tenancy with a private landlord, please contact them direct. Your landlord should already be aware that we are unable to process claims during this time. If you have given us permission to discuss your claim with your landlord then we will be happy to confirm to your landlord that you have submitted a claim if they call our Contact Centre on 01942 828644, or by e-mailing benefits@wigan.gov.uk.
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Can I be evicted?
You need to contact us immediately if your landlord starts eviction proceedings.
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I am a landlord and my tenant has fallen into arrears. What shall I do?
You need to inform us of the arrears as usual. You can do this by accessing the ‘Apply For It’ page on our website www.wigan.gov.uk. You will also need to provide a rent account to show a record of the payment history.
If your tenant is already in receipt of Housing Benefit payments, we will contact your tenant in regards to the arrears, but we may not be able to prevent them from receiving payments as we are unable to amend payments during this time. You will need to contact your tenant to obtain your rental payments as normal.
If your tenant is waiting for their claim to be processed we will take the arrears into consideration when we put the claim into payment.
Please contact our Customer Contact Centre on 01942 828644 before you start any eviction proceedings.
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I am already in receipt of Housing and Council Tax Benefit, will I still get my payments?
If you are already in receipt of benefit prior to 5/8/11 then you will still receive your payments as normal.
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Will my child receive a free school meal when they return to school in September?
If you have been notified prior to 5/8/11 that your child is entitled to free school meals then they will receive their meals as normal when they return to school, even if they have changed schools over the summer.
If we have not processed your claim, we will tell the school to award free meals on a temporary basis.
We have asked schools not to refuse free meals. If they are unsure about entitlement, they have been advised to contact us via e-mail.
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What if I have a change in my circumstances during this time?
You still need to report your changes to us during this time. You can do this by accessing the ‘Apply for it’ page of our website, www.wigan.go.uk. You will also need to provide any necessary evidence. We will assess your change once the new system becomes available to us.
If your change means that your benefit entitlement will do down, or stop, then you need to be aware that you may not be entitled to the payment that we are due to send you during this period. We would advise you to keep this money to one side as you will need to pay it back later.
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I am already getting Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit but, I am struggling to pay the shortfall between my Benefit and my Rent/Council Tax charge. Is there any help available?
Yes. You can still make a claim for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). You can do this on line at www.wigan.gov.uk following the 'Apply For It' Link. If you need help to complete the form you can visit one of our Life Centres. If you are not able to get to a Life Centre we can help by completing the form over the phone for you. Please call 01942 828644 to speak to one of our advisors.
Although we can't actually pay out a DHP until your Housing Benefit has been awarded we can gather the evidence we need ready for when our new system is running.
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