my mum inherited a house while on income support

Oldernotwiser

As others have said, sell the house, live off the proceeds until the capital gets down to £16,000 and some benefits will be payable and then she can keep £6,000 and regain her full benefit.

Trying to offload the house for a £1 to a relative (as the OP suggests on another thread) will be considered as Deprivation of Capital and she will still receive no benefits.

Caz3121

where is your nan living currently, how was the house owned between her and your grandfather?

seven-day-weekend

You really have three options.

1) Sell the house and live off the proceeds until capital gets down below the means-tested rate, then reclaim Benefits. This is by far the favoured option.

2) Rent it out (not possible without a kitchen and bathroom)

3) Live in it (ditto).

The house will be classed as capital, there is nothing you can do about that so by far the best advice is to sell it and live off the proceeds until in a position to reclaim Benefits.

Jowo_2

4th option - Your mother finds a job, arranges with the local social services/council housing dept to review the needs of your nan in terms of providing carers and habitable accommodation and looks into whether the local council offer grants to private owners (as some run schemes to bring unfit properties back into proper use, some are just aimed at landlords but your mother could perhaps rent it out for the qualifying period if this is a criteria).

bestpud

Where does your mum live now and where does your nan live?

Does your mum rent her current home?

I don't see any option but to sell it and live off the proceeds but if she owns the house she lives in now she may have more options...

Bamber19

Not sure how it works in England but can't your mother refuse the inheritance of the house such that it will fall into the rules of intestacy and would go to the spouse?

Just thinking though that will likely be seen as a deliberate action to reduce capital for benefit purposes...

Oldernotwiser

Bamber19 wrote: »

Not sure how it works in England but can't your mother refuse the inheritance of the house such that it will fall into the rules of intestacy and would go to the spouse?

Just thinking though that will likely be seen as a deliberate action to reduce capital for benefit purposes...

Definitely deprivation of capital.

NASA_2

Does your mum have any intention of living in the house?

ziggyman99

I'm astounded that people are suggesting you deny the inheritance as a means of staying on benefits. This country is so messed up. Personally, as someone who has never claimed a penny off the state, i'd be relieved that I had an opportunity to get off benefits.
It's no wonder this countries in a mess when people see benefits as the better option.

Bamber19

ziggyman99 wrote: »

I'm astounded that people are suggesting you deny the inheritance as a means of staying on benefits. This country is so messed up. Personally, as someone who has never claimed a penny off the state, i'd be relieved that I had an opportunity to get off benefits.
It's no wonder this countries in a mess when people see benefits as the better option.

Reading it back I can see why it seems like that but claiming benefits wasn't why I was suggesting denying the inheritance, I was focusing on the fact that everyone seems to think it is, and should be, the grandmother's house. It was early in the morning and I wasn't fully awake though so didn't have my thinking cap on...