NI Housing Ex housing benefit question - moving house?

rover25

My sister currently lives in a rented house. She is a single parent with a 12 year old son. She has always worked and currently works part time (think it's 20 hrs/week) term time.
She pays her own rent which is £65 per week with no housing benefit received. It is a small 3 bed orlet type terrace house. When investigated could she get housing benefit, she discovered she would only get £5 per week. She didn't claim this. Anyway she does receive working tax credits and some other benfits like child tax credits (I think)
The house she is in is very small and cramped. There is not enough room for a kitchen table in the kitchen, which she hates. Her son is getting to age where he wants to have friends over and she just feels its too small. If him and his friends are in the living room and she wants to give them privacy,she has nowhere to sit other than her bedroom. Anyway a bungalow has come up near to where she lives. It's in the country, a 5 min walk from her parents house but it's £480 per month. Owner will accept housing benefit. When she imput her details into the housing exec calculator it said she would only have to pay £30 per week towards it and they would make up the rest?
She is hoping to meet them on Mon to discuss this, but does anyone know would this be right. A £250 rent house (the one she's in) means she has to pay £60 per week towards it herself, but a £480 rent house only requires her to pay £30 per week? Just sounds strange to me. Also , would they have a problem with her wanting to move to this more expensive house (and how to overcome this if possible)
Many thanks

rover25

The one she is in at the minute is not a nihe house. It is a private rental house as well. She had been told she could get five pounds towards it frm the housing benefit but it's not council housing.

fadetogrey

Hi,was just looking at a housing benefit checker,now I obviously know nothing of your sisters personal circumstances but I put in her earnings at £125 gross per week and tax credits etc of £90 per week plus having a child of 12 in the house.Now I dont know where she was told she could only get £5 a week benefit in housing but the calculator https://www.quickcalc.co.uk/nihe says on a house costing £480 a month to rent she would have to pay £16.69 a week towards the rent.Sorry I cant be more precise without the full details of your sisters income but it should give you a fair idea.

rover25

Hi, Thanks for your reply. The £5 per week that she could claim for housing benefit is for the house she is currently in which has a rent of £250 per month. (She would have to pay £60 per week for it) -She doesn't claim it anyway as it's so little.
It's when she inputs a house of £480 per month that it says she can claim for £90 per week. (She would only have to put £30 per week herself towards it)
Sorry, if I havn't made it as clear as I should.

Enemies.Closer

Hi

Who told her she could only get £5 p/w for the house she is in now? If she phones the housing executive with her income at hand a quick calculation can be actioned for her.

As she is in private rented the HE is obligated to use the local housing allowance to assess her entitlement. It doesn't matter if the house is 5 bedroom or 3 bedroom she will only be entitled to the 2 bedroom rate applicable to the area by post code the house is located.

You can get the local housing allowance rates of the nihe website.

My advice would be if she is entitled to claim for the property she is in now and its easier if she moves to have housing benefit continue.

Hope this helps

miserly_mum

Your sister would only be entitled to the 2 bedroom rate.The Local Authority rate at the moment is between £77 and £93 per week depending on which area you live.

So say for example your sisters 2 bed rate in her area is £80 per week (£320 per Month) then the MAXIMUM she COULD get in Housing Benefit would be £320 per month.She wouldn't get the full £80 if shes working and how much she does get depends on how much she earns etc.

Housing Benefit would only be calculated on the £320 p/month she is allowed. If the new house is £480 and her allowance is only £320 then she will have to pay the £160 difference herself. The Housing Exec do will not take that £160 into consideration as she will be choosing to rent a property that is larger than they deem she needs for herself and her son. They have no problem about how big/expensive a house you want to live in they just won't foot the bill for it.

As far as how much H.Benefit she will receive.....if your sister uses the H. Exec H. Benefit calculator it will give her a pretty accurate answer as long as she realises that when they ask her to enter her ELIGIBLE RENT that means what she will be allowed using the Local Authority Rates 2 bed rate for her area and not how much the Bungalow costs to rent ie £480

Hope this helps

miserly_mum

Enemies.Closer wrote: »

Hi
My advice would be if she is entitled to claim for the property she is in now and its easier if she moves to have housing benefit continue.

Hope this helps

I would agree with Enemies.closer on this. Also even £5 a week is better in her pocket than not and being in receipt of H.Benefit can also entitle her to help with other things.