gap year student - housing and council tax benefit

flickering_light

I was wondering if someone could give me some advice. When I was 18 I finished my A levels in June 2004 and I then proceeded to take a gap year before uni.

In my gap year I worked as a full-time medical receptionist from 17 September 2004 to 29 July 2005. I earned less than £4, 000 and so I filled in a form and got all my tax back.

Here is the question...during this time, I carried on living with my mum. My mum is unemployed (on income support) and so she recieves full council tax benefit and housing benefit to pay rent.

The council have written a letter to my mum saying that since I was working she must pay back council tax and rent.

I was wondering if someone could tell me if this is right since I was a gap year student who earned less than £4,000. Futhermore when I was searching for a job I cleverly forgot to claim job seekers allowance....so for 16 months i actually only lived off the £4,000.

Since I earned less than £4,00 - should my mum be paying council tax and rent?

dmg24

flickering_light,

This question has already been answered for you in another thread.

You are not a STUDENT in your GAP YEAR. You are an ADULT in EMPLOYMENT.

Scarlett1

flickering_light wrote: »

In my gap year I worked as a full-time medical receptionist from 17 September 2004 to 29 July 2005. I earned less than £4, 000

you worked 36 hours per week for 10 months for 4K you're mum should have declared the extra income coming into the house and housing and council tax benefit would have been adjusted accordingly.

flickering_light

It took me ages to find a job cos everyone kept rejecting me so I took that one. My mum did speak to the man at the neighbourhood office and he told her that since I was a gap year student I would be classified as a student. From what people have said here he was wrong.

I'll look up the amount I have to pay but its kinda a joke cos I didn't even earn that much and then I was told I couldn't fill in a job seeker allowance form cos I was a student...I'm kinda guessing he did not realise I was not classified as a student.

If I now have to pay this money can I also get the job seeker allowace paid back to me cos all along I was told I couldn't get this cos I was a student.