Please help - Housing benefit + Shared ownership + Disability

Dannyboyo_3

Hi

I was wondering if anybody could help with a very complicated situation.

I am disabled and in receipt of disability living allowance, because of my disability it has become neccessary to have some form of 24 hour care. My mother has decided to sell her house and buy two smaller flats next to each other so she is able to provide that care. The only way she was able to afford this was to buy two shared-ownership properies with a 50% share in each but because of the rules of the housing association she is buying from she is not allowed to "buy to let", which in essence is what she would be doing for me. Therefore it is neccessary to put one flat in my name, in essence giving me the money.

As far as I am aware housing benefit would cover my rent to the housing association and service charges but nothing to my mother who I would be owing the other half in rent because the 50% would be in my name not her's.

Does anybody have any suggestions of ways to get the full amount of housing benefit - it seems like catch-22 to me!

Thanks
Dan

Dannyboyo_3

Anybody at all with any help?

seven-day-weekend

Hi Dan, I don't think there is anything you can do as HB will not normally pay the rent if you are renting from a relative unless it can be proven that the property was bought on a commercial basis.

If your mother has not already committed herself, it may be worth taking legal advice on this.