Sound Advice - January 2009 (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Sound Advice - January 2009

11:35am Tuesday 27th January 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

QUESTION ONE: Last week I received an enormous electricity bill. I am disabled and am terrified about being disconnected as I cannot afford to pay the bill. I do not know how to sort out this problem.

ANSWER: If you receive a much higher bill than normal and you are unable to pay the bill, you should ask your supplier for a payment plan to pay off the debt in instalments, taking account of your ability to pay.

If the supplier does not co-operate, or you feel the repayment level it has offered is unfair, you should complain.

If the bill is high because the supplier has failed to issue a bill for more than one year, the supplier may be barred from collecting the whole of the arrears.

You can get free practical advice about energy efficiency or payment schemes from the Free Home Heat Helpline on 0800 336699 (from Monday to Friday 9am-8pm; Saturday 10am-2pm) or on their website www.homeheathelp.org.uk Furthermore, if you are a vulnerable person and your supplier is a member of the Energy Retail Association, you can not be disconnected from your electricity or gas supply at any time of the year.

If you have a problem, which cannot be resolved directly with your supplier, you should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 00506 (from Monday to Friday 8am-6.30pm; Saturday 9am-1pm) or their website www.consumerdirect.gov.uk QUESTION TWO: My college told me that I am eligible for Children’s Tax Allowance because I have a child born in 2002. What should I do to apply for this benefit?

ANSWER: Children’s tax credit was a tax allowance available for the tax years 2002/2003 only and was later replaced by the child tax credit. The last date for claiming children’s tax allowance for the tax year 2002/2003 is January 31, 2009.

If you have not claimed it to which you are entitled, it is possible to make a backdated claim for up to six years.

You need to phone HMRC on 0845 3021437 (have your National Insurance number to hand) and ask them to check whether you have already received this allowance and, if not, check which HM Revenue and Customs office you should write to.

Alternatively, you can go into the website www.hmrc.gov.uk, where a claim for children’s tax credit with accompanying notes is available.

You may be eligible to claim £520 allowance if; You have a child born between April 6 1986 and April 5 2003; The child lived with you for all or part of 2002/2003; You worked and paid tax for all or part of 200/2003; You and your partner warned £6,000 plus in the year 2002/2003 tax year.

You may be eligible for the £1,040 allowance; If you can answer yes to the four questions above, and one of your children was born between April 6, 2002 and April 5, 2003.

You have to be aware that making a claim does not affect your current or future entitlement to Working or Child Tax Credits. Moreover, your marital status is irrelevant.

QUESTION THREE: I have heard about a new benefit called health in pregnancy grant. I am pregnant, so I would like to know something more about this grant.

ANSWER: A health in pregnancy grant is to be paid to all expentant mothers as long as they have received advice from a health professional on matters relating to maternity health.

The new payment is worth £190 and is a non-contributory, tax-free benefit paid to women who are ordinarily resident in the UK. The grant is payable from April 6 2009 but can be claimed from the 25th week of pregnancy. Women expecting to give birth on or after April 6 can make a claim from January 1 2009.

Advice kindly supplied by Wyre Forest Citizens Advice Bureau.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)