Female student friend moving in?

TokochickUK

hey,
Im currently on IS with CTB and CTC
My seperated ex continues to pay the mortgage in full.

If friend moves in whats changes? she is a FT uni student
I would not be expecting her to contribute to me for mortage and she would buy her own food. I would not be recieving anything from her.
Thanks

KeaneFan10

If your on income support i would still tell them about the changes regardless you say shes wont be contributing too anything but they might not see it this way, if shes a student you will get some discounts with CTB but with income support its not worth risking a fraud case which could happen and i know its happened too a few people i know

Indie_Kid

Do you have 2 separate tenancy agreements?

TokochickUK

Thank you.

There is no tenancy agreement

Im on the mortgage with my seperated ex, he is however paying all the mortgage and insurances that go with this.. property, damage, life insurance and so forth.

Sorry, I`m a bit of a dumb !!! when it comes to all this

deedee71

How will your ex react to someone getting free bed and board in a place he pays for? He may want your friend to pay him rent.

Oldernotwiser

Your friend receives funding to pay for rent, so it seems rather unfair that she should live rent free whilst your ex pays the mortgage. There's also the possibility that you may be considered a couple which will affect your means tested benefits.

kelloggs36

If they are not a couple then they won't be considered to be - it will be difficult to prove they are unless the student is totally financially reliant on her friend.

Oldernotwiser

kelloggs36 wrote: »

If they are not a couple then they won't be considered to be - it will be difficult to prove they are unless the student is totally financially reliant on her friend.

If the student is being financially supported by the OP to the extent of being allowed to live rent free this would lend weight to the idea of their being a couple.

TokochickUK

My ex is ok with her moving in due to circumstances.

She will be taking over the telewest bill as apposed to paying anything to myself. She will have her own room and study area within. My ex sees the paying of the mortgage for the children.

She has an exemption from council tax I believe also.

GlasweJen

Students are only exempt from council tax if they are living on their own or with other students. You will lose your 25% council tax rate for being the only adult in the house but the student will get you a 25% discount anyway so that cancels out. Here it gets tricky, council tax will then expect you both to be liable for the rest, your council tax benefit may change if the student is assessed as having enough money to pay towards council tax but you will both be jointly liable for it.

With regard to income support, you can't get income support as a lone parent if you have another, non disabled, adult living with you. You will be expected to be taking payment from your lodger and may be seen as either intentionally depriving yourself of money to claim benefits if you don't or you'll be seen as a couple and will be assessed jointly.

If your friend pays one of your bills (telewest) and you also use the facility and don't pay then that's contributing to the household, your friend should be paying rent, council tax and contribution towards bills separately, preferably on an itemised basis to you every month and you should be making up reciepts for her, any other way looks dodgy from the benefits angle.