Looking at converting room to Granny Annexe, advice needed please.

stanleymog

Hi all,

To cut a long story short we are looking at moving to a house where we can convert part of it to a self contained granny annexe for my mother to move into.

Now my mother is worried that we will become her 'keeper' and she will not be entitled to any benefits should the needs arise.

At the moment she receives around £81 pension (per week I think)and that is all and will have savings of less than £10,000, this will be reduced when she furnishes the place.

So would she be entitled to income support, as she would if she went into private rented accommodation (where she would more than likely have her rent paid as well)?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

viktory

No. She'll get a pension and pension credit, if necessary.

Jowo_2

Tenants who live in the same property as their landlord who is a close relative cannot claim housing benefit (local housing allowance).

I'm not aware of pensioners who receive a state pension receiving income support, wherever they live, private or family accommodation but perhaps other MSE members can clarify if this isn't the case.

stanleymog

Hi,

Thanks for your replies, my Nan who now lives in council run sheltered housing receives a state pension and income support.

We are not looking at claiming housing benefit, but just wanted to know what she would be entitled to and whether or not we would be responsible for her 'upkeep'.

viktory

stanleymog wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for your replies, my Nan who now lives in council run sheltered housing receives a state pension and income support.

Are you sure? IS is only available for those under 60.

Jowo_2

Though I haven't had a chance to verify the following, this is what the following site says

"The Basic State Retirement Pension for a single person is £95.25 a week for a single person and £152.30 for a couple in 2009/10. Whether you get this can depend on how many national insurance contribution years you have completed.
The basic pension is lower than the income support threshold, so if they have no other income, state pensioners can top up with income support. This comes in the form of a means-tested Pension Credit which brings the weekly amount up to £130 for a single person and £198.45 for a couple."

http://www.pensionsorter.co.uk/statepension.cfm

viktory

Jowo wrote: »

Though I haven't had a chance to verify the following, this is what the following site says

"The Basic State Retirement Pension for a single person is £95.25 a week for a single person and £152.30 for a couple in 2009/10. Whether you get this can depend on how many national insurance contribution years you have completed.
The basic pension is lower than the income support threshold, so if they have no other income, state pensioners can top up with income support. This comes in the form of a means-tested Pension Credit which brings the weekly amount up to £130 for a single person and £198.45 for a couple."

http://www.pensionsorter.co.uk/statepension.cfm

Right, so in this instance income support and pension credit are one and the same. Thanks for clarifying that.

So the OP's mother would retain those benefits I assume?

Jowo_2

viktory wrote: »

Right, so in this instance income support and pension credit are one and the same. Thanks for clarifying that.

So the OP's mother would retain those benefits I assume?

Yes, the way I interpret it is that pension credit is paid to pensioners instead of income support which is probably why the terms get conflated.

stanleymog

Thanks for the replies, that's one bit clearer now, now to work out all my other questions!

parsons

oooh my brain hurts! Whilst I know and agree that it is fair not to pay HB for someone that lives with the 'landlord' who is also a close relative, but am I right in thinking that under Pension Credit regulations, 'housing costs' are given automatically. In other words, for anybody in receipt of PC, they would get full HB WITHOUT the need to fill out the HB claim form from the council.

Does this mean that they could get HB - courtesy of PC even if they lived with a close relative?

I cant see how, and I'm probably p****ng in the wind!!

Indie_Kid

parsons wrote: »

oooh my brain hurts! Whilst I know and agree that it is fair not to pay HB for someone that lives with the 'landlord' who is also a close relative, but am I right in thinking that under Pension Credit regulations, 'housing costs' are given automatically. In other words, for anybody in receipt of PC, they would get full HB WITHOUT the need to fill out the HB claim form from the council.

Does this mean that they could get HB - courtesy of PC even if they lived with a close relative?

I cant see how, and I'm probably p****ng in the wind!!

But surely to claim LHA / HB, anyone would have to have a proper tenancy agreement, etc?