Housing Benefit - Living with a close relative?

NorthernScot

Afternoon all, first post here but been reading forums for a while!
A very welcome resource, keep up the good work and advice

My query is that i have recently become unemployed, a situation i am trying to resolve ASAP, and now recieve JSA of £60.50 per week - this is my only income.

I applied for Housing benefit towards the £70 a week i am expected to pay for lodgings and keep and recieved a letter this morning explaining i was not eligable as i was 'deemed to be living with a close relative'.

Whilst this is true, Bills in the household still require paying and i am expected to contribute.

Is it worth my time trying to appeal this decision? Are there any other benefits for which i could apply in this case?

Advice very much appreciated.

ladyrider260

Unfortunately I think you'd be wasting your time. Because you are living with family they expect your family to put you up for free. I can see both sides, but like you said bills need to be paid!

However £70 a week is quite a lot to ask generally, let alone from a relative. You could probably rent a bedsit, get your rent paid & be better off. See if you can negotiate.

PasturesNew

NorthernScot wrote: »

Bills in the household still require paying and i am expected to contribute.

If you were living entirely alone, in a self-contained flat or house, you'd have to pay all your (full) bills out of the JSA £60.50, so it's not unreasonable to expect you to contribute your half to a shared household from that money.

healy

NorthernScot wrote: »

Afternoon all, first post here but been reading forums for a while!
A very welcome resource, keep up the good work and advice

My query is that i have recently become unemployed, a situation i am trying to resolve ASAP, and now recieve JSA of £60.50 per week - this is my only income.

I applied for Housing benefit towards the £70 a week i am expected to pay for lodgings and keep and recieved a letter this morning explaining i was not eligable as i was 'deemed to be living with a close relative'.

Whilst this is true, Bills in the household still require paying and i am expected to contribute.

Is it worth my time trying to appeal this decision? Are there any other benefits for which i could apply in this case?

Advice very much appreciated.

If you are living with a close relative ( parent/s?) you will not get Housing Benefit/ Local Housing Allowance.

There is no point trying to appeal the decision.

There are no other benefits you could claim in this situation.

NorthernScot

As i suspected, Cheers for the clarification

happymumto2

I have to say that while I know its the rules, it does seem very unfair. Many years ago when I was still a student, and ex-hubby an auxilliary nurse, my sister and her 2 children came to live with us, she applied for whatever benefits were available at the time, they did a home visit and asked if we were related we said yes then the lady said sorry but your not entitled to claim anything! Had I kicked her out on the street they would have provided her with accomodation and paid for it!
So hubby was expected to pay for all!

hippy-chicy

The relative/s you are living with - how many adults over 18 including yourself are living in the property? If it is just you and another adult you will be eligible to claim 2nd adult rebate on your council tax account based on your income (JSA). This effectively gives them back their single person discount. If there are more than two adults then you wont be able to claim.

Oldernotwiser

happymumto2 wrote: »

I have to say that while I know its the rules, it does seem very unfair. Many years ago when I was still a student, and ex-hubby an auxilliary nurse, my sister and her 2 children came to live with us, she applied for whatever benefits were available at the time, they did a home visit and asked if we were related we said yes then the lady said sorry but your not entitled to claim anything! Had I kicked her out on the street they would have provided her with accomodation and paid for it!
So hubby was expected to pay for all!

Well, you might have had to pay for all the rent, but your sister's money was to cover food and bills so she should have been paying for food and utilities out of that, leaving you no worst off. This should also be the case with the OP, his/her JSA is intended to cover these items, so s/he can also contribute to the household for food and bills.

JSA isn't pocket money, after all!