uni student and rent in summer hols

nutty1

hi just had a letter from housing benefit and council tax asking how my son, who is on summer holiday from uni, is keeping his self in the summer hols. i said he is working sat and sun same as he has done for pass 7 months. but they said i have to send last 2 months pay slips in and he will have to pay rent. i am on housing benefit and don't pay anything, because i get income support. but they know he was at uni so they should have sent me a letter sooner because now if he has to pay rent and council tax we will be in arrears. if we knew he had to pay we would have started as soon as uni ended. he gets 88 pound a week will he have to pay rent and council tax then

Oldernotwiser

kathrynt wrote: »

hi just had a letter from housing benefit and council tax asking how my son, who is on summer holiday from uni, is keeping his self in the summer hols. i said he is working sat and sun same as he has done for pass 7 months. but they said i have to send last 2 months pay slips in and he will have to pay rent. i am on housing benefit and don't pay anything, because i get income support. but they know he was at uni so they should have sent me a letter sooner because now if he has to pay rent and council tax we will be in arrears. if we knew he had to pay we would have started as soon as uni ended. he gets 88 pound a week will he have to pay rent and council tax then

If your son is on holiday from university then you won't have to pay council tax as he is exempt, even in the holidays. Does he usually live at home or is he just back for the summer?

misscomickat

Students don't have to pay council tax, so I wouldn't worry about that.

As for his contributing to the rent, I'm afraid I don't know. Does he live at home in term time?

nutty1

lives at home all year round

melancholly

he should be able to get a letter from student services confirming his student status to send to the council - they are very used to providing them.

Oldernotwiser

kathrynt wrote: »

lives at home all year round

Doesn't he get his maintenance grant and student loan to enable him to pay rent?

nutty1

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Doesn't he get his maintenance grant and student loan to enable him to pay rent?

its not that i'm bothered that he has to pay some rent its just that they have waited 12 weeks to send us a letter saying we may have to pay some.

Oldernotwiser

kathrynt wrote: »

its not that i'm bothered that he has to pay some rent its just that they have waited 12 weeks to send us a letter saying we may have to pay some.

If you're on means tested benefits and you have an adult student child living at home and working during the summer holiday then you'll have a deduction made from your HB. I would've thought that it was your responsibility to inform the LA of the situation, just as it is to report any change of circumstances.