Joint tenants and housing benefit eligibility?

PippaGirl_2

If a couple were to rent a property, is there a better situation to be in tenancy wise that makes them more eligible to claim housing benefit? Or as they are a couple will it make no odds at all whether they have separate agreements or a joint one? The property is most likely to be a one bed flat.

One of them will soon be a full time student, currently receiving IR ESA and DLA due to disabilities but once their course starts will be eligible for and receiving student finance and the course/study needs will be supported by DSA, I assume their ESA will then stop due to the student finance being above the threshold but they will have an underlying eligibility for it. The other person is hoping they will find a full time job before they move there ready for the other to start Uni, if not they will take a part time job rather than nothing, and knowing them they will take any work at all of any kind rather than wait for what they are qualified in, claiming JSA would be a last resort if they got nothing.

Would the student with disabilities be able to claim HB towards their share of the rent regardless of what the other person earns or will that claim always be affected by the other person's earnings? ie even if they had separate tenancy agreements? Or possibly as it is a 1 bed property they can't have separate agreements? And in reverse, would the other person be able to claim HB until they find enough work to support them?

They are both under 25 so will only be eligible for shared room rate I realise, but 2 people's shared room rate would be enough for a 1 bed flat? They can't reside in Halls as only 1 is a student and they live together as a couple and they need to move away from their home area to take the Uni place so cannot remain at home. So just trying to find out what help they would have available to them towards rent in the form of HB, thank you for your help.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

A couple is a couple so they are treated as a couple. A disabled student or a couple one of whom is a student can claim HB. One tenancy agreement and a joint claim.

paddedjohn

Also to add to the above, since one of the couple is a student they will be exempt from council tax and the other person can claim the 25% discount.

PippaGirl_2

Thanks HBO that's helpful.

Yup, knew about the council tax exemption, thank you.

I have been searching available properties on rightmove within a 10 mile radius of campus and there is not a single property available at under the LHA for a 1 bed flat. There was 1 last week but it has gone already, she only got her confirmed place yesterday so though we spotted one, couldn't act. We will have to keep our eyes peeled.