Self employed & Housing benefit - help?

Brunettebimbo_2

Hi all,


I've been self employed working from home for many years & have never claimed HB, but I just completed an online calculator that indicted I'd be entitled to HB.


I have 4 children & a hubby, hubby works full time & I work from home. We rent a 4 bed house & the 4th bedroom is my office/work space & is essential for my business therefore this is deducted from as a work expense along with a proportion of all other household bills, internet, mobile, car expense - the car is used for taking parcels daily to the post office etc ( my accountant does this), when all is said & done on paper I earn very little really (I'm assuming this is the same for a lot of self employed people??).


So my question is can I claim HB?


Thank you in advance

Housing_Benefit_Officer

The element of the rent you charge your business for 'office use' won't be deducted from your business expenses.

Otherwise you are claiming housing benefit for rent part of which you are claiming as a business expense to reduce your income and increase your housing benefit entitlement.

Brunettebimbo_2

Thank you, that's what I thought :-)


Just looked at it again & according to what I've found online I'd be entitled to £85'ish per week HB - my accountant doesn't take anywhere near that much rent as a business expense. So it looks like it would be beneficial to claim?