housing benefit help needed please

shooby1

Hello
am enquiring for a friend if she would maybe be able to get some help towards her rent.
She is in employment with 2 student children living with her, one is 19 and in full time education, the other child is 20 and at univercity, her husband left her 2 years ago and made her sell the family home to one of the companys who you rent it back from, she recieved a £2.500 pay off at this time.
She claims working tax credit and family tax credit but is really struggling to pay her £450 per month rent do you think she may get some help towards this ?
Thank you

karenx

It depends on her total income also! Ask her to put her details onto entitledto.com and it should give her a rough idea if she is entitled to any help!

Indie_Kid

It would also depend on the LHA rates set by the council.

shooby1

thanks for your replys i have been on the phone to local benefits office after being in a very long queue and YESSSSSS she will get £43 per week towards her rent she is really chuffed and cant quite believe it :j

karenx

Every little helps!! Means she will be about £170 a month better off

shooby1

karenx wrote: »

Every little helps!! Means she will be about £170 a month better off

They were really lovely and said it wil amount to 219 per calander month that is alot of money :j:j

krisskross

And hopefully a bit towards council tax.

Macro_3

Please be aware that there is a provision in the housing benefit regulations which means that people who have previously owned the home which they now rent cannot claim housing benefit until more than 5 years have elapsed since the sale of the property.

They can only claim if they can shows that the only possible way in which they could have remained in the property was to sell and rent back - this usually means providing proof of substantial mortgage arrears/imminent repossession at the time of sale.

The person who did the trial calculation may not have realised the full circumstances of the tenancy - so be prepared that it may well not be paid.

Council tax benefit would be unaffected though.

Killmark

Maybe her adult children could help make up the shortfall?

Fire_Fox

If she is on a low income the child at university should be getting a full maintenance grant plus student loan; both students should be exempt from council tax, perhaps the younger one gets EMA? Should be quite a lot of money coming into the household. Are both the children taking advantage of half price public transport for students?

Indie_Kid

Fire_Fox wrote: »

perhaps the younger one gets EMA?

Only if he was 18 before September.

Are both the children taking advantage of half price public transport for students?

This doesn't exist everywhere.