Need advice for brother who is homeless and penniless.

hardpressed

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but here goes. The situation is that my 60 brother has returned to England having spent the last couple of years living like a hippy in Africa. Came back penniless, had to borrow the airfare home. Should point out that he was self employed before he went but the business went broke, so as usual, he buried his head in the sand and took off on the hippy trail!

I believe he has lots of debts, credit card and possible tax, not sure that he always tells me the whole truth, but he is definitely broke. So he's been back in the UK about 3 months, sleeping on a friends sofa and for the last 10 weeks I've been giving him handouts to buy food and put money on the electricity card, his mate goes off for days on end and there's no electric. I can't give him any more money and for various reasons I don't want him to come and live with me. So were do we go from here?

Up to now he's refused to go to the Job Center and sign on, I've told him I'll take him tomorrow, he says they won't give him anything. Having looked on their website it seems he may be right.

He says he's been to the CAB and according to him they were no help but he's not a very tolerant person and if someone gave him the answer that her didn't want to hear that would put his back up.

Is there anywhere else he could go to get some money? Or does anyone have any suggestions as to what he should do?

Thanks for reading this.

bunny999

He could try claiming pension credit.

Fran

Much as you want to help him, you can't force him to visit the Jobcentre etc. You could ask what exactly Citizens Advice told him, if it doesn't sound enough (a new adviser might not give as much information for example) then strongly suggest he goes again. What are the reasons he can't claim Jobseekers?

Jowo_2

Get him to visit the local authority housing department to complete a homelessness application.

Have a look at the Shelter website to understand the process and how it will be dealt with, his rights and what the council can/can't do. Have a look at the Crisis website that deals with single homelessness.

Why not visit CAB yourself and see if they can give you the rundown on where he can get assistance and his eligibility for any benefits?

Is he looking for work?

Other than that, there's little you can do to help someone who won't help themselves so you'll just have to be as supportive as you can given how frustrating and self-destructive his behaviour is.

DX2

Will your brother not have to pass the habitual residence test?
http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/C6BCDC9159284907BC3BEA8718E3CD39.asp


Housing and benefits

If you need state provided housing or certain benefits immediately on your return and you have been absent for more than two years‚ you may be subject to the Habitual Residence Test (HRT). HRT is a complex and subjective test that aims to establish that you intend to make the UK your home. HRT is applied to those seeking state-provided housing and the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit

hardpressed

I think we have made some progress. I didn't know that men were entitle to apply for pension credit from 60. Spoke to a lovely lady from DWP this morning and she said it was likely that he would qualify. As he doesn't have a land line to make the free phone call, and mobiles are very expensive for 0800 numbers, call I've spent an hour in a freezing phone box, while he an I spoke to various people at the DWP. It was well worth it as they are going to arrange for someone to visit him and fill out the forms, they could have done it over the phone if he'd known his NI number. He's also agreed to go with me to the Jobcenter tomorrow, it's about an hours drive from where he lives, one of the benefits of living in the country!

It's a sad fact that he's not the most patient man on the planet, when I was holding on the phone waiting to be connected to an advisor he said if I hadn't been with him he'd have put the phone down long ago!

So hopefully there is now some light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for all your advice.