Need help with govenment charges.

kafkathecat

Sorry, I can't help with your problem but just wanted to point out that council housing is not subsidised it is just that property prices and private rents are ridiculously high in this country. Also, it would appear that the OPs parents were in work prior to being sick and would then have paid national insurance (not to mention tax) designed to cover them in hard times.

neverdespairgirl

OP, you need to get more information, first. As you're being asked to pay, it's fair enouhg that you should know the sums.

There is a thing called a "non-dependant deduction", as another poster mentioned.

What that means, essentially, is that a person who is living in a house but not on the tenancy agreement and not reliant on the people claiming housing benefit etc is expected to contribute towards the rent.

If your nephew is living with you, your parents should be getting child benefit, child tax credits, etc. They should also be getting some council tax benefit. So they should be paying your nephew's costs, to be honest. Not you.

You need to ask them - what benefits are they on? How much is their rent? How much has the non-dependant (you) been assessed as having to pay?

Then you're in a position to know what's what.

CH27

The non dependant charge applies to the rent & council OP.

kingfisherblue

My daughter pays board to me - it covers all household bills, as well as food. I don't expect her to pay the biolls for the household on top of her board, but it appears that is what you are doing. I am on benefits (carer for my disabled son) and as a non-dependent, my daughter's income is assessed for council tax. As the householder, I am responsible for this, but she pays it as she is the person earning. It is still an awful lot cheaper for her than getting a place of her own. The NDD is worked out according to the amount that you earn.

Your debts will not be taken into account regarding the NDD.

My house is mortgaged, so no rent to pay, but I would imagine that it is a similar sort of scenario.

Your parents can claim child support from the parents of your nephew. Even if his parents are unemployed, in most cases thay should be receiving a minimum of £5 a week child support - this is in addition to £20.30 a week child benefit, plus child tax credits (the amount varies according to income, but if your parents are both unemployed, it is likely to be a reasonable amount (just under £60 a week, or £3100 a year, if they are entitled to the full amount - if they receive income support or JSA, it is likely to be the full amount). The rates are shown below in the first link posted. The second link shows more information about child tax credits, including details about claiming for a child that is not yours, but lives with you.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/children/children-taxcredits.htm

I think it is time to sit down with your parents and have a serious talk about finances. If you are paying board, plus a large amount in household bills, what are your parents paying? Time for honesty all rounbd, though I appreciate that it is likely to be a difficult conversation.

joekober

Thanks guys, im going to have a sit down tonight. Also looking to move out very soon

onlyroz

joekober wrote: »

I dont want to know their specifics but i think dad gets job seekers, and mum gets some sick. But i think dads has been cut with him being on the dole for nearly a year. Iv always had a job so i couldnt even tell you how much the normal rate for dole is. Is it like £90 every fortnight or something?

You NEED to know the specifics, if you're being asked to support this household. You need to know what your parents are earning in either wages or benefits, and if they are claiming what they are entitled to with regards to your nephew. You need to know what they have said about your own earnings and whether they have made any mistakes (deliberately or otherwise) with their paperwork. Then you can get back to the council, armed with the full information, and determine what it is that you should be contributing.

Ames

If you don't want to have an outright 'how much are you getting' conversation then you could try putting a different spin on it. Maybe suggest that as a household you get a benefits check to make sure that you're all getting everything you should be? Get someone from CAB, DIAL or Welfare Rights to come out and talk to all three of you. Then you'll all know where you stand.