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I need some help regarding benefits

Hi there i am planning on going to live with my friend for about 6 months she is 3 months pregnant and about to go on job seekers as she was only working in a fish and chip shop and had some problems with her boss.
I believe she is also claming income support. He boyfriend has been helping a handy man out for a but the guy says he might not be able to give him so many hours as business is not so good.
Her boyfriend is from Spain, last week he managed about 10 hours work. I am at the moment on job seekers but know i would be able to find a job pretty easy as she lives in a seaside resort and it is summer.
She is renting a 3 bedroomed house if i was living with them but i was the only one working full time how would this work? would the benefit support she recieves differ? as i would only be a lodger for a while, if i had a full time job and was lodgeing would she have to declare this to the job centre/benefits?
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Comments

  • Fran
    Fran Posts: 11,280 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Yes she would have to declare it to the DWP.

    Assuming she claims housing benefit and council tax benefit, a non dependant deduction would be taken off their benefit entitlement which works on a scale depending on how much you earn. You would have to give her this information or they won't process her claim. The non dependant deduction is very unfair in some cases and you might find for instance that you end up paying half or over half of the amount of rent. It also affects council tax benefit so there would be an amount deducted from that too. You could give a Citizens Advice Bureau a ring (eg.) to see how much the deductions would be to see if you still want to go ahead with this arrangement. The onus is on the claimant (your friend & partner) to collect this amount from you. If they are in and out of work then the amount could vary that is deducted.
    Torgwen.......... :) ...........
  • Ted_Hutchinson
    Ted_Hutchinson Posts: 7,142 Forumite
    Income from subletting and taking in lodgers
    If you sublet part of your home to a tenant, part of this income is ignored. The amount ignored is higher if you provide heating for your tenant. The current rates of disregards can be found in leaflet GL23 Social security benefit rates. [Legislation (104)]
    If you receive money from lodgers or boarders, the first £20.00 a week income plus 50% of the balance from each lodger is ignored in full. A lodger is someone who pays you a charge for their accommodation and at least some cooked or prepared meals.
    If you receive payments from other people who live in your home for their living costs and accommodation, for example, from an elderly relative, these payments will not be counted in your income though there may be a non-dependant deduction from a payment of Income Support housing costs.
    My weight loss following Doktor Dahlqvist' Dietary Program
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  • sarah090182
    sarah090182 Posts: 94 Forumite
    hell this is all really confusing, whatever happened to simple english?
  • Fran
    Fran Posts: 11,280 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    hell this is all really confusing, whatever happened to simple english?
    sarah, perhaps get your friends to look into it as it's them that needs to know this information. At least you know now that things aren't always as simple as we'd all like them to be!
    Torgwen.......... :) ...........
  • black-saturn
    black-saturn Posts: 13,937 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    If you had a full time job and they didnt you would be the main wage earner of the household. Their benefits would be calculated with your income taken into consideration.
    2008 Comping Challenge
    Won so far - £3010 Needed - £230
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  • sarah090182
    sarah090182 Posts: 94 Forumite
    this is my worry basically my life has become a bit s.h.i.t.t.y. i have spent the past 6 years coming and going ie living and working 6 months in mallorca then returning to England where i had a job to come home to. however this summer my house was broken into and a lot of money stolen so i did not want to go alone to mallorca because of what happend.
    I was planning to go live with a friend in Spain so only needed to temp while back in england (i could not get my old job back due to management changes) So i have been looking for temping jobs but not much was about so i was claiming JSA and working in a cafe maybe 10 hours a week. when i came to got to Spain it all fell through so now i am kind of stuck in england living at home and i dont really know anybody or do anything as i have not got many friends her as i have been away on and off since i was 17.
    i have my closest friend who is pregnant with her 2nd baby (has another who is 2) she and her boyfriend as moving into a 3 bedroomed private rented place and i was planning to go live with them until her baby is born. i know as she lives in a seaside resort i should find work easy. however she has had problems with work and child care he boss asks her to work she puts her kid in day care and then he says i dont need you to work and messes her about, Her boyfriend been spanish finds himself in and out of work a lot (but has perfect english). Like i said i am on Job seekers and really wanted to go down she mentions she gets some benefits and i dont want to end up living there if i would loose her too much money or i myself would be loosing a lot.
    life just seems hopeless at the moment. i dont know what to do.
  • Ted_Hutchinson
    Ted_Hutchinson Posts: 7,142 Forumite
    If you had a full time job and they didnt you would be the main wage earner of the household. Their benefits would be calculated with your income taken into consideration.
    I don't think that is correct.

    They are a couple and she will be a lodger.

    I don't think we are discussing a Ménage à trois or polygamous relationship or a family situation.
    My weight loss following Doktor Dahlqvist' Dietary Program
    Start 23rd Jan 2008 14st 9lbs Current 10st 12lbs
  • sarah090182
    sarah090182 Posts: 94 Forumite
    no i just wanted to go stay with my friend give myself a break and some independance and socialise find a job for the summer and help her out a bit as she has helped me out when i needed it.
    Her boyfriend is not the most reliable person her has a good heart but he has found that he does not get a fair chance on a "regular job" and ends up doing warehouse work as places look for GCSE's (i know how frustrated he feels as i found the same thing happened to me in spain.
    i would just want to be a lodger. So basically i would only be on JSA until i got a job and i would pay her some rent and help her out with the kid. Basically she could work a few hours at the chip shop and have a break and i could help out with her kid as she has no family around Day care would not be such a big problem.
  • Ted_Hutchinson
    Ted_Hutchinson Posts: 7,142 Forumite
    Shelter Lodgers has useful information.

    The rules for how much benefit they will lose are not that complicated.
    Apart from the non-dependants deduction. See here for example of Non-dependant deductions

    If you pay them £40 a week rent. They will keep the first £20 and half of the rest £10 and will have £10 less benefit. So they will be £30 a week better off and maybe have a free childminder, but don't mention that to anyone else.;)
    My weight loss following Doktor Dahlqvist' Dietary Program
    Start 23rd Jan 2008 14st 9lbs Current 10st 12lbs
  • black-saturn
    black-saturn Posts: 13,937 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I don't think that is correct.

    They are a couple and she will be a lodger.

    I don't think we are discussing a Ménage à trois or polygamous relationship or a family situation.
    Sorry, I take that back. I was reading details about if the person was a family member and living with them.

    I am looking into a situation where elderly parents on benefit still have their son living with them who works full time and is on a very good salary. The man got married and moved to Italy, the marriage broke down and he moved back to England to his mum and dads. But he hasnt declared anything and as far as the tax man is concerned he is still living in Italy and commuting to England once a week (his salary would permit him to do that) and the parents are still claiming benefit and HB.
    2008 Comping Challenge
    Won so far - £3010 Needed - £230
    Debt free since Oct 2004
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