Unexplained delay to housing benefit

[kittyP]

Did anyone else have an unexplained delay to housing benefit, from lambeth or anywhere else?

Mine usually goes in on a Friday, the only time it hasn't done so on a Friday before is on Good Friday and it always goes through on the first non bank holiday das, the next Tuesday.

Well it didn't go through last Friday, not a bank holiday.
It also didn't go through yesterday, not a bank holiday.

I've just checked and it has now gone through.

For most people this would be extremely stressful but I have an anxiety disorder and other mental health problems.
I've been spiraling between "it's a mistake" to "I'm going to prison because I've obviously been unwittingly committing benefit fraud" and everything in between.
I've barely eaten anything for days.
I was trying to work out what to do with all my books and paper work before I kill myself.
I know that sounds extreme but it's how I felt.

I'm at my parents as my mum was going to call lambeth council for/with me today to ask what is going on.

I'm starting to come down a bit now from being elated that it's gone through and I'm angry now.

Am I missing something?
Is there a perfectly good reason why this has happened and I'm the idiot?

Sorry for the long post and may ask for thread to be deleted in a while.

 

[marty21]

I haven't worked in HB for a few decades , but sometimes there used to be payment delays over the Christmas Period, with all those Bank holidays in quick succession - I'm guessing it has something to do with that.

 

[kittyP]

I haven't worked in HB for a few decades , but sometimes there used to be payment delays over the Christmas Period, with all those Bank holidays in quick succession - I'm guessing it has something to do with that.

Yes I suppose that is what it was but it's never happened before so it would be good to know in advance if it's likely to happen as it can cause people problems.

 

[gnar182]

A lot of councils usually run the payment run early to prevent any delay to the payments being deposited in your account, not sure if this is true for Lambeth. It may however have been a delay with the bank processing the transaction.

Might be worth pinging in a short email/complaint if it escalates your mental health to a) see what the issue was and b) what steps can be taken to avoid such a matter in the future.

Glad it’s in your account now

 

[kittyP]

A lot of councils usually run the payment run early to prevent any delay to the payments being deposited in your account, not sure if this is true for Lambeth. It may however have been a delay with the bank processing the transaction.

Might be worth pinging in a short email/complaint if it escalates your mental health to a) see what the issue was and b) what steps can be taken to avoid such a matter in the future.

Glad it’s in your account now

Yes my mum still wants to call and give them a piece of her mind, but I can't face it.
I've looked online but not sure really where to send a complaint email to...

 

[moochedit]

Probably someone miscalculated the date they needed to send the instruction to the bank allowing for the 3 bank holidays.

 

[gnar182]

Just had a look for you, those should be the details. Although you can register a complaint by telephone it’s usually good to do it in writing and then you’ve got your own paper trail. If that’s the action you wish to take you don't have to do anything now, you could just do it when you feel able to do so.

Benefits

Contact the Benefits team online form Apply to backdate your housing benefit or council tax support

www.lambeth.gov.uk

Email: benefitsinfo@lambeth.gov.uk

Lambeth Revenues and Benefits Service
London Borough of Lambeth
Winchester
PO Box 750
S023 5DT

 

[kittyP]

Probably someone miscalculated the date they needed to send the instruction to the bank allowing for the 3 bank holidays.

But surely these things are automated.
Not relying on a person to remember to do it.

 

[kittyP]

Just had a look for you, those should be the details. Although you can register a complaint by telephone it’s usually good to do it in writing and then you’ve got your own paper trail. If that’s the action you wish to take you don't have to do anything now, you could just do it when you feel able to do so.

Benefits

Contact the Benefits team online form Apply to backdate your housing benefit or council tax support

www.lambeth.gov.uk

Email: benefitsinfo@lambeth.gov.uk

Lambeth Revenues and Benefits Service
London Borough of Lambeth
Winchester
PO Box 750
S023 5DT

Thank you

Is the address for lambeth benefits really in Winchester? Jeeze!

 

[Elpenor]

But surely these things are automated.
Not relying on a person to remember to do it.

To an extent yes, but there would be some manual input to create a payment calendar and maybe the wrong rule was applied.