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Legsmaniac Online
- Member

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- Posts: 381
- Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:28 pm
- Location: Northampton
Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:51 pm
I asked for the DHP form well before the "Bedroom Tax" officially started and noted on the form that it took into account DLA, which both my wife and I get independently. After doing a rough completion of this form, we decided it wasn't worth sending in because it looked like we could well afford the Bedroom Tax because of the DLA being treated as Income, with nowhere on the form allowing us to offset this DLA for what it is used for. I threw the form away.
When the Bedroom Tax officially started, we were advised we should try and claim DHP and were given a form. The form was different, having been updated to take into account Bedroom Tax perhaps? The Income side of the form didn't ask for DLA and the Expenditure side asked for a lot more than the old form did. So we duly filled it in and took it to the council.
Weeks later, we finally get a letter in the post saying we have been approved for DHP. However, they have decided not to award us the full amount because (and I quote) "I cannot take into account money spent on cigarettes/alcohol and satellite TV."
So, because we are smokers, they have reduced our award and also because we subscribe to Sky TV. (Which I think is unfair because I pay for this with my DLA as my lifeline for their excellent subtitled TV services.) The letter also ends saying that I have no legal right of appeal against his decision so in other words, accept it and shut up. The award has been backdated to April and lasts for 12 months.
Hmmmmm........