× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Benefits for older people  →  Thread

Pension Credit - Help with major works and attribution period

Nicola Kimber
forum member

WBO - Swan Housing, Essex

Send message

Total Posts: 8

Joined: 16 June 2010

I have been trying to find out if it possible to receive help with major works bills through housing costs.

I have received a response not stating that this is not possible but that “you failed to provide the information within the attribution period”

Can any one help as to where I can find more information on ‘attribution periods’?

Thanks

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
forum member

Information and advice resources - Age UK

Send message

Total Posts: 3196

Joined: 7 January 2016

Is this to do with irregular service charges as per para.78485 onwards of DMG?

Chapter 78 DMG

Para.78487 indicates that payment would only be considered over the 52 week period following which they’d been incurred.

However, I’m also slightly puzzled by that as CPAG 2016/17, bottom of p.436 indicates that major repairs wouldn’t be payable as service charges anyway and would need to be paid by taking out a loan, for which housing costs could be claimed.

Gareth Morgan
forum member

CEO, Ferret, Cardiff

Send message

Total Posts: 1995

Joined: 16 June 2010

Are these essential works?

HB Anorak
forum member

Benefits consultant/trainer - hbanorak.co.uk, East London

Send message

Total Posts: 2895

Joined: 12 March 2013

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK - 14 March 2017 05:15 PM

However, I’m also slightly puzzled by that as CPAG 2016/17, bottom of p.436 indicates that major repairs wouldn’t be payable as service charges anyway and would need to be paid by taking out a loan, for which housing costs could be claimed.

Very odd drafting in Schedule 2 to the SPC Regs.  Para 13(1) provides for service charges to be met, subject to deductions under subpara (2).  The deductions include any amount for repairs and improvements and the reader is then directed back to a definition of those items in para 12 (loans) where they are eligible to be met.  But those deductions themselves are then subject to exceptions in subpara (3), but the way I read subpara (3) it doesn’t really bear any relationship to subpara (2): it’s more about converting odd payments to match SPC periodicity.  I don’t think subpara (3) is putting repairs and improvements back into eligibility if they are charged sporadically - I think the words “subject to subpara (3)” in subpara (2) are simply saying that the weekly amount deducted from the service charges might need to be converted in accordance with para (3) before it is deducted.

So it does appear that SPC will only pay for major works service charges if you take out a loan to pay the bill, and even then it will only pay the interest.

[ Edited: 15 Mar 2017 at 10:17 am by HB Anorak ]