Housing Benefit Questions......

mimi1234

Hi all.

I am asking this question on behalf of a friend. She is wanting to rent privately and has been thinking about it for quite some time. She is currently on JSA. She has a mild learning disability and her Mom supports her a fair bit but she feels it's time for her to move out and start living her own life.

If she finds a property and gets housing benefit for it, what are the rules and regulations? Does she have to be in that property all the time? What if she goes to her Mom's house now and then during the day to eat or have a chat, or even if she stays over once in a while, would her housing benefit stop?

Are there any specific rules and regulations? A lot of people seem to mention housing benefit fraud. What does that mean?

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this.

Thanks for your time.

stevemLS

She can come and go as she pleases, even have the odd holiday away.

There is no restriction on her visiting mum or anyone else. She is not a prisoner.

Fraud occurs where she wilfully and knowingly misrepresents her circumstances in order to obtain benefit - nothing you have written even suggests at that.

Caz3121

assuming your friend is under 35 she will be entitled to the shared accommodation rate which is unlikely to cover the rent for a non-shared property. She will be able to choose to live in any sized property but her housing benefit will be capped at the shared accom. rate and she would need to use her JSA to pay any difference.

Many landlords will not/cannot accept tenants on benefits so there will be more challenges there

Marshmallow82

You can leave the house! Some people work and receive HB if they are on a low income.

Housing benefit fraud may relate to having a partner/friend living with you and not declaring it. Or not declaring income.