Renting a Room Housing Benefit

Kraze

Hello,
I am going to rent a room and claim housing benefit (shared room rate). I am a 23 year old male. However the house is a rented 3 bedroom, where a mother and daughter live who are also claiming benefit (housing benefit etc). If I move in and claim housing benefit at the same address, will the landlords (mothers) benefit be affected?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

Perr

Yes it would affect them it would be classed as Sub Letting.

PasturesNew

Is the daughter (or the mother if she's lucky) your gf?
That'd also affect the overall claim maybe, if it were deemed that you/she were living together.

Housing benefit would be paid at the appropriate LHA rate that is relevant at the time of the claim. You moving in could cause all sorts of issues, which nobody could explain unless the full details were known. e.g. if it's a 2-bed now and it's your gf; if it's a 3-bed and they're just random strangers to you.

Kraze

Thanks for the replies. It would only be subletting if she moved out and rented it to me, I would be classed as a lodger because she will be living there. They are strangers to me. It is a 3 bedroom house, one bedroom is the mothers, one is the daughters, and the 3rd would be the one I rented.

So if I claimed housing benefit for the rented room, this will affect her housing benefit?

terryw

OP,

In order to assist we need more information.

1. Are you a partner of either of the females?
2. Are you related to either of the females.
3. What benefits (apart from HB, that you've mentioned) do the females receive?

diable

It could be classed as income for her and her benefits will drop, maybe.......

Kraze

Terryw, I am not a partner of either females, I am not related to either females, the mother is receiving housing benefit, income support, child tax credits and child benefit. I am on JSA. I know the easiest answer is to 'get a job', I am trying my hardest to do this.

The mother is 26 and the child is 3 years old.

RAS

You may struggle to get the benefits people to accept that you are not partners. if she wants get a lodger, she would be better off picking a woman.

The money you give her will be counted as income. It is not taxable but will reduce the benefits she receives. She will need to make a new application for CTB based on your low income (JSA).

diable

Kraze wrote: »

Terryw, I am not a partner of either females, I am not related to either females, the mother is receiving housing benefit, income support, child tax credits and child benefit. I am on JSA. I know the easiest answer is to 'get a job', I am trying my hardest to do this.

The mother is 26 and the child is 3 years old.

Ok we have that out of the way.

I know if a person has there own home and rents a room out and is allowed £5200 per year tax free (I think thats the amount) but if someone is claiming housing benefit i.e. having her house paid for and council tax paid for (single persons allowance as only one adult living in the property) then I am not sure what affect this will have as council tax will increase by 25% so the council will have to pay more in benefits............

Kraze

Thankyou for explaining. Basically it is a no go if its going to affect her benefits in any way. I better get job hunting! Thanks

hcb42

I just read a similar thread only with Dad being the other tenant...... who exactly do you live with?

I dont think this strategy is going to work for you.