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Please help
I moved property in January 2008 but my ex is in same house, for a short period in 2007 I had claimed council tax and housing benefit as I had 8 operations and was very ill, when I returned to work I stopped claiming (that was September 2007)
In May 2008 (five months after I left the property) the benefits section "accidently and inadvertingly (their words) made a payment to my previous landlord (lha) and council tax account, £300 for CT £1500 for rent. BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS AS I HAD MOVED
As my ex had run up large arrears by this time the LHA refused to give back the money and council tax benefit was paid to the council tax account.
I was unaware of this until the council tax traced me in late 2009 and I contacted them to ask them what they were talking about and they admitted their mistake but said as the payment had been made it was my responsibility to pay it back.
I am self employed but on a low income and have been struggling to pay it back in small amounts, I had missed admittedly a couple of payments as on very low income but had been mostly paying and they hadnt said anything about the missed payments.
Fast forward to 2011, I recieved a letter three weeks ago asking me to get in touch with pheonix recoveries baliffs asking me to make a payment arrangement, the amount was a strange amount so I asked them what it was, they wouldnt tell me! Apparently it related to a liability order in 2008. I have had some issues with debt which is exh since I left him and not mine and knew nothing of a liability order and was paying to council direct and had had nothing from them about the couple of missed payments but the pheonix letter stated I had been contacted several times by council and ignored them.
I asked for seven days to clarify what the debt was, they would not give it.
I clarified what the debt was and agreed to payment plan but asked to pay weekly, I also have asked 3 times for the method in which they want me to pay as none was attached even though stated it was attached.
They ignored my request to pay weekly and stated that as I didnt pay x amount on the 28th February (because they wouldnt give me details to pay!!) they can not enter into an agreement with me and will be taking further action.
They wont tell me how to pay!
They are claiming costs for two visits prior to their initial letter to me in Feb, both dates I was home and no one came and I didnt recieve 14 days notice of visit.
They are also ignoring and not acknowleging letters stating we are classed as a vunerable catagorie and asking them to either accept payment plan or refer back to council.
Please help
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sorry just to add the balliff relates to the council tax not the rent
I moved property in January 2008 but my ex is in same house, for a short period in 2007 I had claimed council tax and housing benefit as I had 8 operations and was very ill, when I returned to work I stopped claiming (that was September 2007)
In May 2008 (five months after I left the property) the benefits section "accidently and inadvertingly (their words) made a payment to my previous landlord (lha) and council tax account, £300 for CT £1500 for rent. BUT I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS AS I HAD MOVED
As my ex had run up large arrears by this time the LHA refused to give back the money and council tax benefit was paid to the council tax account.
I was unaware of this until the council tax traced me in late 2009 and I contacted them to ask them what they were talking about and they admitted their mistake but said as the payment had been made it was my responsibility to pay it back.
I am self employed but on a low income and have been struggling to pay it back in small amounts, I had missed admittedly a couple of payments as on very low income but had been mostly paying and they hadnt said anything about the missed payments.
Fast forward to 2011, I recieved a letter three weeks ago asking me to get in touch with pheonix recoveries baliffs asking me to make a payment arrangement, the amount was a strange amount so I asked them what it was, they wouldnt tell me! Apparently it related to a liability order in 2008. I have had some issues with debt which is exh since I left him and not mine and knew nothing of a liability order and was paying to council direct and had had nothing from them about the couple of missed payments but the pheonix letter stated I had been contacted several times by council and ignored them.
I asked for seven days to clarify what the debt was, they would not give it.
I clarified what the debt was and agreed to payment plan but asked to pay weekly, I also have asked 3 times for the method in which they want me to pay as none was attached even though stated it was attached.
They ignored my request to pay weekly and stated that as I didnt pay x amount on the 28th February (because they wouldnt give me details to pay!!) they can not enter into an agreement with me and will be taking further action.
They wont tell me how to pay!
They are claiming costs for two visits prior to their initial letter to me in Feb, both dates I was home and no one came and I didnt recieve 14 days notice of visit.
They are also ignoring and not acknowleging letters stating we are classed as a vunerable catagorie and asking them to either accept payment plan or refer back to council.
Please help
------------------------------- merged -------------------------------
sorry just to add the balliff relates to the council tax not the rent
