Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

The FAQ's are displayed in this question and answer format e.g.
Can I email you with comments or suggestions for program enhancements ? Yes please - we positively encourage customer feedback. If the programs relied entirely on our own ideas we'd have gone bust long ago !

    ______________________ Application issues ______________________

1 I don't agree with some text on the "WebBenCalc" page.
The exact text of the wbc questions is always a delicate issue, to say the least, and is constantly evolving in the light of user suggestion/input. The program always tries to walk the fine line between simplicity and complexity without compromising accuracy. In particular, debate often rages around the disability questions in Step 4 + the wording of Step 11 (tax credits) and the intro to Step 12 (non-deps). We'll consider any reasonable suggestions, especially in these confoundedly tricky areas ! Meanwhile, if you think the text can be improved - you can easily change it - that's the beauty of the WebBenCalc ! So you can change any of the text to reflect whatever you want it to say by amending the wbc.htm file with an html or text editor - anyone in your IT dept would be able to do it in a few seconds.

2 I don't want any preset figures on the "WebBenCalc" page.
We set the default amounts as a kind of prompt so the program can solicit the minimum amount of useful information. As above, anyone in your IT dept would be able to remove them in a few seconds - that's the beauty of the "WebBenCalc" ! At Step 7 the "WebBenCalc" preselects "30 hours or more" but you will notice that a zero or negligible wages sets it to "under 16". We are not sure how else it could be expressed.

3 What is this LHA (bed)room entitlement calculator in the WebBenCalc zip file ?
Since 2008 we have distributed a free add-on separate mini module web page LHA (bed) room entitlement calculator as a distinct module so it didn't detract from the inherent simplicity of the WebBenCalc or confuse claimants who don't need one. This year we have also included a slightly updated LHA_roomer.htm web page to cater for the 5 room  cap. So if you want to use it then put the 2 little files (LHA_roomer.htm and roocal.js) on your web site with an appropriate link - otherwise ignore them.

4 Why do the Benefits Calculators need to ask about Council Tax bill discounts ?
Only so they can adjust the Alternative Council Tax Benefit (Second Adult Rebate) - if any. Don't succumb to Council Tax confusion - the BenCalcs just want you to input the actual Council Tax bill (after taking off any discounts etc.), they won't adjust that bill - ever.

5 Why does the Quick (Desktop) Benefits Calculator mention test data on screen 1 ? On screen 1 you can click the Big Calculator image to load some test data and "go" ! This will start the program and pre-load some rent, Council Tax and income figures so you don't have to enter any data - useful for testing. But normally you will click the green "traffic sign" button to move through the program

6 Why do Rent Free weeks cause unexpected results on the Benefits Calculators ?
Rent free weeks do affect the calculation [new HB Reg. 81 (was 70)]. For weekly rents (or multiples of), multiply the applicable amounts, income, non-dependant deductions by 52 (or 53 if its a 53 BW year) and ÷ by the number of weeks that aren't free. For other tenancies, multiply the daily rate by 365 (or 366 as appropriate) and ÷ by the number of days that aren't free. This method is unpopular with some folk - but we are only trying to accurately implement the Regs !

7 Why doesn't the "WebBenCalc" auto link between disability and non deps ?
Several customers have requested a disability/non dependant auto link feature whereby deductions don't happen to certain disabled claimants. Be aware that the Desktop calculator pretty much achieves this - but it goes into far more detail. The disability criteria do NOT match the non dep skip criteria and we can't see how to implement an "auto skip" link without inserting extra specific questions - which we are reluctant to do after we have all tried so hard to keep the program lean. Also, at Step 12 the "WebBenCalc" does give an explicit warning about skipping non dep deductions under certain disability conditions.

8 Why does some text in the "WebBenCalc" appear to be so light that is in effect unreadable ?
Some questions in the "WebBenCalc" program are deliberately "greyed out" until they become relevant. For example there is no sense asking "Is there a baby (any child aged under one) in your family ?" if the user has already said there are no children aged under 16. Hopefully this feature makes the "WebBenCalc" easier to use.

9 Why do your tax credit estimates not always accord with the actual awards ?
We can't know exactly what figures or periods HM Revenue and the DWP will use to assess their awards - but our estimate is pretty accurate as a weekly snapshot. Our estimate is there purely as an estimate, as requested by users when the TC scheme was introduced in 2003. Tax Credits only count as claim income if they are actually being paid - and as far as we are aware, all guidance issued to LA's reiterates the point that TC's should be ignored unless they are extant. So a word of caution - credits get added to claim income - strictly speaking you should input actual awards and only use the estimate as an illustration.

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12 Are there any plans to create a "WebBenCalc" that doesn't rely on client-side technologies?
Yes - we have released 2 PHP flavours of the WebBenCalc, at no extra cost. The calculation is entirely server side but some validation is duplicated on the "client side" for speed. The standard "classic" server side PHP version is similar to our ‘regular’ version in terms of the look and feel - bearing in mind that customers can (and do) modify the look and feel considerably ! And the "Dual" extra plain PHP (server side) WebBenCalc flavour looks similar to the "extra plain" (js) WebBenCalc flavour. Most web hosts offer PHP support. As long as your server supports PHP, then just put your .php files in your web directory and the server will automatically parse them for you. There is no need to compile anything or install any extra tools.

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