Housing Benefit for home owners

asu1z

Dear forum members

I am new to this forum. I need some help about my situation. I will be much thankful If someone could advise me on this:

My circumstances are:

1. We are a couple with two babies under age of 3 years.
2. I am self employed as an accountant and my earnings are £7000 for the year. My wife does not work and look after children.
3. We own a one bed room flat, which we bought 2 years before for 125,000. We did put the deposit of £12,000. We pay 250 mortgage payment each month.
4. I do not know what is the current value of our flat.
5. We have combined savings of £2000.
6. We are claiming child benefit, child tax credits, working tax credits and council tax benefit altogther around £900 per month.

The one bedroom flat which we own has become too small for our family of 4. We are looking to rent two bedroom house with garden in the local area.

Now my question is, If we rent my current flat (which we own) and move to a bigger property (with rent of 800 pcm), will we be able to claim any housing benefit? If we do claim then what are chances that our claim will go through and if it does go through then how much will we get?

Will we be better off if we leave our own flat and rent a bigger house? Will we get any further help?

I anxiously look forward for feedback.

Many thanks

seven-day-weekend

You will not, AFAIK, be able to claim help with rent on one flat whilst collecting rent from another (even if it only covers your mortgage).

Wee_Willy_Harris

Why don't you just sell the flat?

Lou76

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

You will not, AFAIK, be able to claim help with rent on one flat whilst collecting rent from another (even if it only covers your mortgage).

I have no idea how HB works, but I'd hope this is the case.

Surely HB is to provide a roof over your head, saving you from sleeping on the streets, when in need etc?

Why should someone be able to voluntarily give up their own 'roof' (but fully paid for by the tenants and still enjoying the luxury of increased house prices etc, for and when they sell up?) and still expect to have another house paid for by HB/LHA?

Why don't you sell the house you have & upgrade to the 2 bed, complete with garden, you crave? That's what most people do when their circumstances change.

LizzieS_2

I assume you cannot get (or even afford) a mortgage on a bigger place.

First of all you need to get your name on the housing list. You can sell your house and rent (probably be a private landlord) as long as the council agrees your need.

Oldernotwiser

Why do you earn so little, working as an accountant?

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why do you earn so little, working as an accountant?

Clearly a very good accountant...

trixie73

hang on a minute, your a self employed accountant yet you only earn 7000 a year. im a part-time cleaner and i earn more than that, i dont get it

Wee_Willy_Harris

trixie73 wrote: »

hang on a minute, your a self employed accountant yet you only earn 7000 a year. im a part-time cleaner and i earn more than that, i dont get it

The clues are all there....... self employed..... accountant......

blue_monkey_2

My mum had her own property and she lived elsewhere with her BF who paid rent and even he could not claim HB as my mum had interest in another property - we were the tenants and was only paying her mortgage and insurances but she was not entitled to it.

The idea is to sell your flat and either rent or buy with the money you have left, or to rent with your income.

Likewise with Housing Associations and the Council, it would be highly unlikely you would get somewhere to rent when you have a property you own.

Prudent

You get £900 a month from the taxpayer because one of you only works part time and the other doesn't work at all and you still want more? I am a single mum and manage to work full time in a demanding job with an auto- immune disease. Why can't both just work more hours?