Benefits stopped, danger of becoming homeless

BigAunty

The Turn2us online benefit calculator will indicate her benefit entitlements.

The local council website will detail the non-dependent deductions she can expect from her council tax/housing benefit because of her son's wage, or whether they fall in an exempt category.

It will also indicate the maximum Local Housing Allowance (housing benefit in the private sector, if she's a private tenant) for a 2 bedroom property (if there are just 2 occupiers in the property) and her income will be taken into account, so perhaps might her son's, when calculating housing benefit. What is her rent compared to her HB entitlement? Is it possible she lives in a property whose rent is far higher than the maximum LHA entitlement, a sum that she has to find out of her existing income?

Forum members here see lots of posts from long-term benefit claimants with dependent children who don't understand that their child tax credits and child benefit stops at a certain point, that certain types of income from their now adult (non-dependent children) may reduce their council tax and housing benefit entitlements (known as non-dependent deductions but there are exemptions) and that they should seek housekeeping from their non-dependents to fill this void.

Sometimes the non-dependent deductions, coupled with the missing child tax credits/child benefits, is greater than the sum that they expect to be paid in keep by their adult children but this is because the lone parent isn't expected to pay for their clothes, food and so on anymore. Sometimes the parent seems to think its a bad idea to ask their adult children to contribute towards household expenses and suffer that way.

Could this be a factor here (though, granted, holding down 3 part time jobs for part of the year also can make the benefit organisations struggle to calculate the correct awards).

BigAunty

Mr_Ted wrote: »

She has 1 son living at home who is also on in the same part time occupation and is on a Paid apprenticeship working 22 hrs a week 39 week of the year, and he is over 18, so receives no benefits either.
He also has a severe arthritis condition which needs a lot of medication at high cost as no benefits are received, and also they wont accept this as a disablement.

Find a disability rights or arthritis support organisation that can help with submitting a new claim or challenging the rejected one. Sometimes expert help when filling in the form is what is needed as they know best how to describe the conditions best, the mobility and care issues that arise.

The Direct Gov website has information on the PIP entitlement criteria which replaces Disability Living Allowance.

https://www.gov.uk/pip/overview

As you can see from the assessment, although its designed to help with the costs associated with a condition, it focusses on care and mobility needs as the main focus on whether its awarded.

https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility

Is it possible that he can save money on his prescriptions this way - prescription prepayment certificate?

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/PPC.aspx