Help with Jobseekers / living with parents

gideon_online

Hi there,

I was looking for a bit of advice on my situation.
Having moved abroad for a bit I have returned to the UK in a bit of spot and am having to stay with my parents for a while.
I am planning to claim Jobseekers allowance in the meantime untill I get on my feet again and find work etc. I have always worked all my adult life.
As my parents also receive some benefits I am unsure how my situation will affect them.
They own1/4 share of their home and rent the other 3/4 from the local authority.
Both my parents are retired.
My mother receives state pension and also receives small pension credit.
My father who is not yet 65 receives his works pension.
They receive some council tax rebate and also some rent rebate as their income is below the threshold.
If i claim Jobseekers allowance from their home, will this affect them in any way as I would be worried if they would be affected by me being here.
Would they have to declare that I was now staying there, albeit temporarily. I would rather everything was 'above board' so to speak!

Many thanks in advance

Savvy_Sue

Certainly it could affect their council tax and rent, and they must declare that you are living there. As long as you are claiming JSA what they're entitled to may not reduce, but it is a change in circumstances which they must declare.

I'd recommend applying for JSA as soon as possible: your claim is backdated to the date you contact them, but no earlier. However the change in circs is backdated to the day you moved back in, AFAIK, and I don't think any allowance will be made for you not having claimed earlier than you do, IYSWIM.

And when you get a job while still at home, that change of circumstances will also have to be declared.

gideon_online

Thanks. What my parents receive is obviously what is due to them, they are right on the line as far as their income / outgoings are and I would hate me claiming JSA to mean a reduction in their benefits. In fact I would not stay here if that would be the case, I would have to try find a mate to let me kip on their couch. Just really unsure of what to do!

Savvy_Sue

gideon_online wrote: »

Thanks. What my parents receive is obviously what is due to them, they are right on the line as far as their income / outgoings are and I would hate me claiming JSA to mean a reduction in their benefits. In fact I would not stay here if that would be the case, I would have to try find a mate to let me kip on their couch. Just really unsure of what to do!

the thing is, you staying there changes what is due to them, because you're a non-dependent adult, and could reasonably be expected to contribute towards the rent, council tax etc, even on JSA.

Have you put your situation into entitled to? Or your parents done so? You have to keep going and going and going to get to the bit about adult non-dependents, and it may not give you a definitive answer but it would explain a bit.

This isn't something your parents can just ignore. Not declaring a change of circumstances can so easily lead to benefit fraud, intentional or not, and 'not realising' they had to declare you being there isn't a defence.

Oldernotwiser

gideon_online wrote: »

Thanks. What my parents receive is obviously what is due to them, they are right on the line as far as their income / outgoings are and I would hate me claiming JSA to mean a reduction in their benefits. In fact I would not stay here if that would be the case, I would have to try find a mate to let me kip on their couch. Just really unsure of what to do!

Don't forget that your JSA is for you to keep yourself with so when you pay your share of the bills etc your parents should actually be a bit better off.

babycakes1980

any money for "rent " pay to parents isnt taken into account. you will prob have to fill in hab res form as you have been abroad but claim your entitled to

Savvy_Sue

Just to clarify, I think what babycakes means is that if / when you give any money to your parents as a contribution towards rent / food / bills / Council Tax / just because you love them, your parents don't have to declare it, it isn't taken into account for their benefit claims.

You can't say "I'm giving my parents £50 a week, so that should be taken into account when you calculate what I'm entitled to."

I hope that makes sense ...