Housing Benefit guide Discussion Area

cazankev

I have a 93 year old dad who sometimes says he wants to live with me,now he may have to go in a home because I will no longer have the room,yet the government are saying that people should be taking in any family members who may become homeless;ie when they stop paying housing benefit for the under 25s, I will not judge people on housing benefit because there are many reasons for people needing it especially those with children.

Thomas_Hardy

cazankev wrote: »

I have a 93 year old dad who sometimes says he wants to live with me,now he may have to go in a home because I will no longer have the room,yet the government are saying that people should be taking in any family members who may become homeless;ie when they stop paying housing benefit for the under 25s, I will not judge people on housing benefit because there are many reasons for people needing it especially those with children.

You're not making much sense.

If your father moves in with you, then his room would not be under occupied so no deduction will be made for it. However, the deduction would apply until he decides one way or the other.

BigAunty

cazankev wrote: »

I have a 93 year old dad who sometimes says he wants to live with me,now he may have to go in a home because I will no longer have the room,yet the government are saying that people should be taking in any family members who may become homeless;ie when they stop paying housing benefit for the under 25s, I will not judge people on housing benefit because there are many reasons for people needing it especially those with children.

You are getting really jumbled. There is no planned policy to stop payment of HB for the under 25s, it was dropped ages ago.

It remains a valid option for you to have your dad come and live with you if you have a spare room. Do you mean to say that your dad requested this after you made plans to downsize?

cazankev

Much respect to you thomas hardy you are obviously more in the know than I,the fact that I have to downsize means there will be no spare room for my dad should he become so unwell that his elderly wife could no longer look after him,a lot of grandparents also look after their grandchildren so that the parents can go to work, I dare say that the grandchild may only occupy the bedroom for a few days per week,I suppose you may say that the parents could pay the bedroom tax,not all grandparents are of pensionable age,and a lot.of people are on a low wage.

BigAunty

cazankev wrote: »

Much respect to you thomas hardy you are obviously more in the know than I,the fact that I have to downsize means there will be no spare room for my dad should he become so unwell that his elderly wife could no longer look after him,a lot of grandparents also look after their grandchildren so that the parents can go to work, I dare say that the grandchild may only occupy the bedroom for a few days per week,I suppose you may say that the parents could pay the bedroom tax,not all grandparents are of pensionable age,and a lot.of people are on a low wage.

That's a big 'what if'. Another 'what if' is what if your social housing landlord is struggling to find properties now for its currently over occupied households, for example, a couple living in a 1 bedroom property with 1 or 2 kids?

A lot of grandpapers do look after their grand children so their parents can go to work - my parents currently support my sister this way, and so do her two sets of in-law grand-parents. They either travel over to her place or she brings the kids over to theirs. It doesn't require extra bedrooms at all 3 sets of grand-parents for this!! And anyway, those of pensionable age are exempt the housing benefit reduction for spare rooms.

mkbswimstar

Quick Qu.
I am trying to work out the benefits I may be entitled to if my circumstances change. I am confused by Local Housing Allowance which is £150 a week here for a 2 bed, but when i put in that my rent will be £900 pm, the calculators say I will get housing benefit of only £88 a week. How do they calculate this? I am single, 2 kids, low income, work 16hrs a week. No savings. Can anyone help.

BigAunty

mkbswimstar wrote: »

Quick Qu.
I am trying to work out the benefits I may be entitled to if my circumstances change. I am confused by Local Housing Allowance which is £150 a week here for a 2 bed, but when i put in that my rent will be £900 pm, the calculators say I will get housing benefit of only £88 a week. How do they calculate this? I am single, 2 kids, low income, work 16hrs a week. No savings. Can anyone help.

LHA rates are the maximum rates for those with the lowest incomes. Any employment income will be taken into account and can reduce this, hence your wages may have an impact.

Also, I note that your maximum LHA entitlement works out at £650 per month but you live in a property which is £250 dearer. Do you not know that the sum of rent above your LHA is a sum that you have to find out of your existing income yourself? What did you think would happen when your maximum LHA is £150 a week but you live in a £207 a week property - who did you think would pay the extra sum?

A tenant can live in any size/price property they like but if it exceeds their LHA, then they are expected to pay this themselves, the extra rent is ignored in the calculation as a matter for the tenant to sort out.

I think that because you are living in a property whose rent is far more expensive than the LHA and because you are in employment, this is why your LHA is so low.

You can apply for discretionary housing payment from your local council but this may not necessarily be granted and will only ever be temporary. Since you live in a property whose rent is £57 dearer than your maximum LHA, you either need to move somewhere cheaper or earn more to prevent your bills from becoming a struggle or ending up in debt.

The Turn2us online benefit calculator has the reputation of being fairly accurate as long as the data put it is correct, the entitlements it calculates should be right.

BigAunty

mkbswimstar wrote: »

Quick Qu.
I am trying to work out the benefits I may be entitled to if my circumstances change. I am confused by Local Housing Allowance which is £150 a week here for a 2 bed, but when i put in that my rent will be £900 pm, the calculators say I will get housing benefit of only £88 a week. How do they calculate this? I am single, 2 kids, low income, work 16hrs a week. No savings. Can anyone help.

How do you even qualify for a penny of housing benefit anyway?

According to historic posts, you have a 40k deposit to buy a second property as a buy to let investment while you currently jointly own a property with your partner that has substantial equity in it, one where you invested 100k into it.

HB is a means tested benefit where sums of capital above 6k reduce it and sums above 16k rule it out completely. Capital isn't just savings, it includes investments like shares, ISAs, premium bonds, equity in a property you own but do not occupy, etc.

Lone parents can qualify for HB if they move out of the family home and the family home is up for sale or doesn't have any equity in it. I believe that after a sale of a property there is a period of protection whereby a claimant gets some time to buy a new property with the equity that's been released.

What happened to the 40k deposit you spoke about last month - did you declare this to the council or was this an imaginary/future proposed scenario? Is the marital home up for sale?

mkbswimstar

Scenarios yes. Reality is, house will be on market at lower value than initially hoped. Debts paid off, equal share of equity, erc to pay, meaning 6-8 months at full rent and all money will be gone. I'm preparing for the worst so that I know where I will stand in the future. Do I want this - no.

BigAunty

mkbswimstar wrote: »

Scenarios yes. Reality is, house will be on market at lower value than initially hoped. Debts paid off, equal share of equity, erc to pay, meaning 6-8 months at full rent and all money will be gone. I'm preparing for the worst so that I know where I will stand in the future. Do I want this - no.

Have you taken legal advice over the separation/divorce?

See the Shelter website for basic info on your rights and options when it comes to joint ownership.

For example, some parents with the care of the children can get an occupation order to live in the property until their youngest child turns 18 - is your ex prepared to move out and let you have the family home to bring up your children?

I don't know what you mean by 'erc' to pay.