How to get Council Benefit / and pay private rent.

JillyJolly_2

Hello,

I live with my father, I was not getting any benefits till last year and was living nothing at my fathers while ill as I refused to get help etc (Well from 2010) He owns the house via mortgage but I've never "Officially been paying him rent" I just sold all my belongings online to give him bit of money now and then.

Seen I've been getting benefits since last year the council got onto my father about me living there and have made him pay backpayments from when I put I was living with my father from which is 06/03/2010. So he's had to keep paying about £120 a month or something to pay of over £800 on council tax bills, allot due to me living here and not paying it before (As I was not "officially living here" until I started getting my benefits and had to let them know when I officially lived here from 06/03/2010.

I tried to get help from my support workers / framework last year about how to get council tax benefit but they said as I'm not officially paying rent I'm not entitled to it. However since I've been getting my benefits I'm paying my father private "unofficial" rent each month, and generally helping him with payments such as getting food in, paying tv license etc etc.

What I'm wondering is how do we proceed with me "Officially" paying rent to my father so I can then apply for council tax benefits. His problem right now is council keep getting on at him as he's struggling to pay the council tax as he's already on a very low income (He works but not good pay) and as he can't afford to keeping paying it off he's now behind and got a letter on the 23rd saying he has to pay £120 in the next 7 days due to being overdue or further recovery action will be taken, but he can't pay it until next month when he gets his next work money.

I hope you understand what's going on here, I am helping paying what I can but it's hard when I can't work and struggle to keep going anyway. In summary the council tax that is owed is mainly due to me being at his house and I can't pay it off as I can't work, I don't officially pay rent thus can't get council tax benefit so my dad is left in the lurch having to pay it of even though he can't afford it so is going deeper into debt.

I'm quite sure there is something wrong with the council tax figures though, I'm trying to find the letters stating how much he owed etc so it can be of further help.

EDIT: found letters will make new post with them.

JillyJolly_2

Okay so this is first letter. Please bare in mind this is not my fathers fault in anyway, it's mine for being seriously ill etc and not getting benefits till last year so none of this was getting sorted till I got help.

Date: 18 Feb 2011

"We have received information that your ("me") has been resident with you at the above address from the date 06/03/2010.

Previously you had been in receipt of single persons discount as you had failed to inform us of your change of circumstances and our records listed you as the only adult resident at the above address.

You will soon receive new council tax bill etc etc...."

That's main thing from that letter.

---

The letters with bills just state the bills and how much he has to pay. This is the main figures and details.

Total Annual Council Tax Charge: £1,117.54
Says after
Council Tax Benefit £279:23 CR (Dunno what that is?)

He was paying £85 a month before now he's having to pay £120. I'd have to scan letters for someone in private if someone would need them to help us more.

Sorry for all the confusion.

paddedjohn

JillyJolly wrote: »

Okay so this is first letter. Please bare in mind this is not my fathers fault in anyway, it's mine for being seriously ill etc and not getting benefits till last year so none of this was getting sorted till I got help.

Date: 18 Feb 2011

"We have received information that your ("me") has been resident with you at the above address from the date 06/03/2010.

Previously you had been in receipt of single persons discount as you had failed to inform us of your change of circumstances and our records listed you as the only adult resident at the above address.

You will soon receive new council tax bill etc etc...."

That's main thing from that letter.

---

The letters with bills just state the bills and how much he has to pay. This is the main figures and details.

Total Annual Council Tax Charge: £1,117.54
Says after
Council Tax Benefit £279:23 CR (Dunno what that is?)

He was paying £85 a month before now he's having to pay £120. I'd have to scan letters for someone in private if someone would need them to help us more.

Sorry for all the confusion.

£1117.54 is the amount your father should be paying and £279.23 is the discount he has been claiming per year since you have been living there, your father has committed fraud by claiming the single persons discount and has now got to repay it. You cant claim rent or council tax when living with parents, you should be paying keep out of your JSA or other benefits.

Mara69

Just to add, the fact that you didn't claim any benefits when you first moved into your father's house is irrelevant.

karenx

As you live with your dad you wont get any extra help for paying for living there

HappyMJ

You will not get housing benefit whilst living with your father however he could apply for second adult rebate due to your low income and they will give him 25% council tax benefit as if there was only one person in the property. You would still need to pay some council tax to your father to fully cover your half of the council tax bill.

Dunroamin

You should be paying most of your JSA/ESA to your father to cover your keep ( share of the bills, food, half council tax etc.) and you should also be paying the extra debt he incurred by your living there earlier.

Now you're claiming benefits, I can't see why this will be a problem, particularly as you seem to have received a large backdated payment recently.

CIS

What I'm wondering is how do we proceed with me "Officially" paying rent to my father so I can then apply for council tax benefits

As a lodger you have no council tax liability on the property and therefore cannot claim council tax benefit - council tax liability falls on the resident person(s) with the highest interest in the property (e.g your father as owner/tenant has a higher interest than you as a lodger).

JillyJolly_2

Thanks for the replies.

Dunroamin wrote: »

You should be paying most of your JSA/ESA to your father to cover your keep ( share of the bills, food, half council tax etc.) and you should also be paying the extra debt he incurred by your living there earlier.

Now you're claiming benefits, I can't see why this will be a problem, particularly as you seem to have received a large backdated payment recently.

Which I am doing as said in first post, but it's not all rosy and glory living of benefits money in-fact it's a massive struggle to live through each week. I gave him most of the backpayment money to help him clear some of his debts but that did not cover council tax and before you slate my father he's a good honest guy who works hard all week, but just does not get well paid (On the lowest income)He ends up having to pay out more then he earns each month even with my help paying some things and giving as much as I can out my benefits money. The small amount of benefit money I have left each time after helping pay for various things a month is spent on food to survive but even that is not much and I often don't eat anything some days and then get suicidal and sometimes get sectioned for a week or so.

As said it;s not all easy being ill it's just a pain as cant go and work and earn proper money to try live properly etc.

So I gathered about the council tax thing but my other question was how do I go about "Officially" paying my father rent as I'm a "unoffical" tennent really and he's not happy I'm living with him while it's not offical as he's a honest guy who's never done nothing wrong. I know he should of said about when I started living here in 2010 BUT I was not suppose to live here , was suppose to be a weekend thing and I ended up staying, also since I started staying we made sure to put the correct date from when I first stayed instead of like some people who would lie about when they stayed to avoid more costs / lie to council about how long been staying.

I don't have any interest (I mean he has much higher than me)

Life is not as simple as it seems.

Jilly.

Mara69

Unless you are a joint tenant there is no official way of you paying rent. Responsibility for paying the rent falls entirely on your father. What you & he agree that you should pay him (and what he spends it on) is between you and your father. No, life is not simple and yes, living on benefits can be difficult. Maybe you should consider moving out if he is unhappy with you living with him.

Dunroamin

JillyJolly wrote: »

Which I am doing as said in first post, but it's not all rosy and glory living of benefits money in-fact it's a massive struggle to live through each week. I gave him most of the backpayment money to help him clear some of his debts but that did not cover council tax and before you slate my father he's a good honest guy who works hard all week, but just does not get well paid (On the lowest income)He ends up having to pay out more then he earns each month even with my help paying some things and giving as much as I can out my benefits money. The small amount of benefit money I have left each time after helping pay for various things a month is spent on food to survive but even that is not much and I often don't eat anything some days and then get suicidal and sometimes get sectioned for a week or so.

As said it;s not all easy being ill it's just a pain as cant go and work and earn proper money to try live properly etc.

So I gathered about the council tax thing but my other question was how do I go about "Officially" paying my father rent as I'm a "unoffical" tennent really and he's not happy I'm living with him while it's not offical as he's a honest guy who's never done nothing wrong. I know he should of said about when I started living here in 2010 BUT I was not suppose to live here , was suppose to be a weekend thing and I ended up staying, also since I started staying we made sure to put the correct date from when I first stayed instead of like some people who would lie about when they stayed to avoid more costs / lie to council about how long been staying.

.

It would have been better if you had made sure that your dad had used the money you gave him to pay what he owes to the council as this is a priority debt.

I wouldn't dream of slating your father who seems to have supported you for some time because you refused to claim benefits .All I was saying is that, now you have been accepted for ESA and DLA, you should have enough money to pay your share of the household expenses. Given that your dad will now only need to pay half of his council tax rather than 75% and will be splitting the utility bills with you, he should actually be a little better off than before you went to live there.

As others have said, there's no way you can claim for any rent but you can make sure that your dad isn't out of pocket and even a bit better off.