Housing Benefit eligibility?

sal-ad_daze

My son has a friend who is on benefits (not sure which), he's in his 20's and really wants to move out of parent's home, the plan I believe is to share a house/flat with a friend who is a student and in receipt of Student Finance.
My question is, is ds's friend eligible for HB for his share of the rent of the property? Would he also get help with Council Tax?

He's talking of taking a place on his own if sharing isn't an option but I don't know if he'd be eligible for enough HB to pay a full rent/council tax on his own, anyone know? Rents in our area work out at an average of about £450 per calendar month.

Sam____2

sal-ad_daze wrote: »

My son has a friend who is on benefits (not sure which), he's in his 20's and really wants to move out of parent's home, the plan I believe is to share a house/flat with a friend who is a student and in receipt of Student Finance.
My question is, is ds's friend eligible for HB for his share of the rent of the property? Would he also get help with Council Tax?

He's talking of taking a place on his own if sharing isn't an option but I don't know if he'd be eligible for enough HB to pay a full rent/council tax on his own, anyone know? Rents in our area work out at an average of about £450 per calendar month.

It depends a lot on wether he's over 25 or under 25, and what area he lives in as LHA varies from area to area

sal-ad_daze

Sam___ wrote: »

It depends a lot on wether he's over 25 or under 25, and what area he lives in as LHA varies from area to area

He's 21 and the local council is Wirral.

Sam____2

Then it looks like the most he would get is £65 per week

MrsManda

From Direct.gov.uk

Housing Benefit


Who isn't eligible

You can't usually get Housing Benefit if:

• you have savings of over £16,000, unless you are getting the 'guarantee credit' of Pension Credit
• you live in the home of a close relative
• you're a full-time student (unless you're disabled or have children)
• you're an asylum seeker or are sponsored to be in the UK

Other restrictions

If you live with a partner or civil partner only one of you can get Housing Benefit.
If you're single and aged under 25 you can only get Housing Benefit for bed-sit accommodation or one room in shared accommodation.

It may be worth him using the online Benefits Advisor service to see what he may be entitled to. Is he working?

Indie_Kid

https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Default.aspx tells you the maximum LHA for your area.

Duncombe

sal-ad_daze wrote: »

My son has a friend who is on benefits (not sure which), he's in his 20's and really wants to move out of parent's home, the plan I believe is to share a house/flat with a friend who is a student and in receipt of Student Finance.
My question is, is ds's friend eligible for HB for his share of the rent of the property? Would he also get help with Council Tax?

He's talking of taking a place on his own if sharing isn't an option but I don't know if he'd be eligible for enough HB to pay a full rent/council tax on his own, anyone know? Rents in our area work out at an average of about £450 per calendar month.

Does the young man have any way of paying for his accomodation? If not, I suggest he reconsiders moving out of his parents house.

He also needs to make sure any house he is planning on moving into (whether with his friend or on his own) will accept tennants who are in receipt of HB. Alot don't. He may also find it very very very difficult to secure private accomodation if he is planning on relying on HB to pay the rent. He would need to be working and earning a reasonable wage for most landlords to even consider him. Even then he may need a guarantor.

As MrsManda pointed out, he would only be eligable for the lowest form of HB - if anything - because he is under 25 and single.

TOBRUK

You don't say what his circumstances are with regard whether he is working as I think it would also depend on his salary etc.

EDIT: sorry I shoud have read more carefully as I notice you do state that he is on some sort of benefit! However, is he likely to be in a position of working in the near future?