Can I claim Housing Benefit if I'm a legal co-owner of a property?

Newly_retired

Just because you, not unreasonably, feel hard done by with regard to the property you co-own, you don't have the right to claim HB.
Firstly because you are legally a co-owner. But even if your sister, or dad did own it, you can't normally claim HB for rent on a relative's property.
Sorry, not what you wanted to hear, but I think you knew the answer.

Gilganjn

KMMT wrote: »

If you only need around £1000 do what other people do & borrow it off your relatives (who must of saved some money by paying minimum rent), get a loan, or save it yourself. You know you shouldn't be doing it at all so maybe don't do it.

Realistically I think £1350 would be a safer figure to allow for any complications but that would cover everything I'd need. I can't really borrow that money, I'd rather not try to. Right now I'm living off just the JSA alone. It's enough money for food, I can't complain about that, but not enough to save anything in order to move out. So it's sort of an unfortunate little cycle of existence that I'm currently caught in.

That's why I'm enquiring about the HB because with just 4 to 6 weeks of that it would change everything for me.

notanewuser

Gilganjn wrote: »

Realistically I think £1350 would be a safer figure to allow for any complications but that would cover everything I'd need. I can't really borrow that money, I'd rather not try to. Right now I'm living off just the JSA alone. It's enough money for food, I can't complain about that, but not enough to save anything in order to move out. So it's sort of an unfortunate little cycle of existence that I'm currently caught in.

That's why I'm enquiring about the HB because with just 4 to 6 weeks of that it would change everything for me.

BUT YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO IT!

What about the JSA debt you're building up? When they find out you've defrauded them they're going to want that money back, along with any LHA you fraudulently claim.

Get your family to buy you out of your share of the house and be done with it.

Gilganjn

Newly_retired wrote: »

Just because you, not unreasonably, feel hard done by with regard to the property you co-own, you don't have the right to claim HB.
Firstly because you are legally a co-owner. But even if your sister, or dad did own it, you can't normally claim HB for rent on a relative's property.
Sorry, not what you wanted to hear, but I think you knew the answer.

I did. In fact I asked a solicitor friend of a friend about this 2 months ago. He advised against it but didn't really go into specific details as to the risks and penalty involved for such a transgression.

I was wondering if I could do it for only a short time in order to build up enough funds, and then I would immediately stop the HB once those funds were accumulated. He was unsure as to the processes and protocols involved in determining the ownership of the property from the Govt's side but he just advised against going through with it.

I thought perhaps I could gain some clarity on the issue here, If there might be a chance I could claim for a short time in order to get out of the current situation. I'd immediately stop claiming against the property once I had enough to move out of it. Well that was my ideal scenario.

notanewuser

Gilganjn wrote: »

I did. In fact I asked a solicitor friend of a friend about this 2 months ago. He advised against it but didn't really go into specific details as to the risks and penalty involved for such a transgression.

I was wondering if I could do it for only a short time in order to build up enough funds, and then I would immediately stop the HB once those funds were accumulated. He was unsure as to the processes and protocols involved in determining the ownership of the property from the Govt's side but he just advised against going through with it.

I thought perhaps I could gain some clarity on the issue here, If there might be a chance I could claim for a short time in order to get out of the current situation. I'd immediately stop claiming against the property once I had enough to move out of it. Well that was my ideal scenario.

No.

Just no.

pmlindyloo

I would suggest you go to the council and ask about a Discretionary Housing payment for your rent and deposit up front but the fact you own a house complicates matters.

I know it is difficult but this is a family matter that you need to sort out. I have no doubt that you did not want to rock the boat whilst you were working but things have changed.

If you do not want to approach your sister and dad about setting things straight as regards the house then perhaps you could ask one of them for the money for your own place.

The one possible way out is to talk to the council about your situation.

It may be that the value of your share of the house is not taken into account because there is no value if your dad and sister refuse to sell.

However, this is a complicated matter. Perhaps CAB would be able to advise.

If, based on the above, you are eligible for HB then it would only be for another property not on the house you co own.

If you know that you are eligible for HB then you could ask for a Discretionary Housing Payment for your rent and deposit up front.

Just one final word. If you go this route then questions are likely to be raised about not declaring your co ownership when claiming JSA.

Go to CAB and get some help - that's my best advice.

tomtontom

Claiming benefits that you know you are not entitled to is fraud, whether that be for a week, a month, even a day.

Gilganjn

notanewuser wrote: »

BUT YOU'RE NOT ENTITLED TO IT!

What about the JSA debt you're building up? When they find out you've defrauded them they're going to want that money back, along with any LHA you fraudulently claim.

Get your family to buy you out of your share of the house and be done with it.

They couldn't afford to buy me out of my share and I do have a sort of sentimental attachment to the house as my mother bought it before she died. I had always thought that we'd be sort of share the usage of the property - some years I'd live there, some years my sister, but what happened is I sort of let her stay there with her family once she had a kid because it's a nice area for a family and for a kid to grow up. The school is nice, it's a short walk away. Great location etc.. I thought I was doing her a favour but now she acts as if I'm totally irrelevant when it comes to the property and she has zero gratitude for what I did - acting as if if I had no choice in the matter from the start, and that it's purely an arrangement between her and my dad.

As far as defrauding JSA, I mean I have paid income tax for 20 years, I don't feel like a fraud. I just feel like an unconventional claimant, but someone who is genuine need of some basic support from a system that I've contributed to for years. I'm sorry if you feel I'm a fraud, I did not intend to cause any harm to anyone, I'm literally just trying to survive right now.

notanewuser

Gilganjn wrote: »

They couldn't afford to buy me out of my share and I do have a sort of sentimental attachment to the house as my mother bought it before she died. I had always thought that we'd be sort of share the usage of the property - some years I'd live there, some years my sister, but what happened is I sort of let her stay there with her family once she had a kid because it's a nice area for a family and for a kid to grow up. The school is nice, it's a short walk away. Great location etc.. I thought I was doing her a favour but now she acts as if I'm totally irrelevant when it comes to the property and she has zero gratitude for what I did - acting as if if I had no choice in the matter from the start, and that it's purely an arrangement between her and my dad.

As far as defrauding JSA, I mean I have paid income tax for 20 years, I don't feel like a fraud. I just feel like an unconventional claimant, but someone who is genuine need of some basic support from a system that I've contributed to for years. I'm sorry if you feel I'm a fraud, I did not intend to cause any harm to anyone, I'm literally just trying to survive right now.

It's not just me that thinks you are a fraud. Income tax is not a savings account. YOU DO NOT MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE BENEFITS YOU ARE CLAIMING. Full stop.

Whatever you did for your sister she has screwed you over. So has your dad. There's no benefit available for that.

Mojisola

notanewuser wrote: »

Whatever you did for your sister she has screwed you over. So has your dad. There's no benefit available for that.

This is the problem. Your sister should be paying two-thirds of the commercial rent for the property and half of it should be paid to you.