Claiming Housing Benefit

Roxana halaban made this Freedom of Information request to Lambeth Borough Council

The request was successful.

From: Roxana halaban

21 February 2010

Dear Lambeth Borough Council,

Hi, I was wondering if I could claim housing benefit. I am a
Romanian citizen. I have been living and working legally and
continuously in London (Lambeth), as an au pair, for over two
years. I hold Registration Certificate from the Home office
confirming my legal right to reside in UK. I lost my job recently
and now I am in the process of finding another one. I rented a
small studio flat privately. As my savings have started to dry up,
I was wondering if I would be able to claim housing benefit while I
am looking for a job. Is it true that I must have been living in UK
for five years before I can apply for HB.?

Yours faithfully,

Roxana Halaban

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Lambeth Borough Council

22 February 2010

Dear Ms Halaban

As your question is more of a general enquiry than an FOI I am passing
it to our Housing Benefits section on that basis. Hopefully this will
mean a faster answer than you would get with FOI.

Richard Gardner
Information Compliance Adviser
London Borough of Lambeth
ICT Services
Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741
www.lambeth.gov.uk
3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5BF

Lambeth - Making a difference

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From: Uka,Connie
Lambeth Borough Council

22 February 2010

Dear Ms Halaban,

I can confirm that a Romanian national is classified as an A2 worker (2
Accession countries Bulgaria and Romania) and are treated as having the
right to reside and being habitually resident in the UK. Therefore, they
are eligible for access to social housing under the Allocation of Housing
Regulations (NI) 2004. A2 workers are also eligible for assistance under
homelessness legislation. The criteria is that the Romanian/Bulgarian
national Must have worked legally (employed or self-employed)?; or has
completed 2 years continuous legal employment in the UK and show evidence
to show they are genuinely self employed i.e. accounts, business lease,
bank statements.

Therefore you have stated in your email that you have worked as an au pair
for two years, therefore you are entitled to Housing Benefit, please note
however that Housing Benefit is means tested therefore you need an income
to claim and as you currently do not have one you would have to show
evidence of your savings and how you are sustaining your self since
loosing your job. Please note that you can make a claim on line from our
website [1]http://www.lambeth.gov.uk or call us to request a claim form on
020 7649 9311.

You can contact me directly on my details below if you need further
assistance.

Connie Uka

Acting Performance Manager

Operations.

Lambeth Benefits Service

Lambeth Finance and Resources Department.

Olive Morris House

18 Brixton Hill

London

SW2 1RL

Tel: 0207 926 0971

email: [2][email address]

website address: [3]www.lambeth.gov.uk

Disclaimers apply for full details see
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/EmailDisclaime...

References

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1. http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/

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Ann Brown left an annotation ( 4 March 2010)

Ok Can you tell me what Brought you live in Lambeth or Westminster? because you have sent two FOI one to Lambeth and one to Westminster asking the same question?

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