Housing Benefit & caravans

0002

Hi, I'm looking for some help / advice regarding housing benefit & caravans.

Does anybody have any information or experience of claiming HB for caravan 'site fees'?

I'm currently unemployed (after business failure) and homeless - 'living/touring' in a touring caravan, moving from site to site to comply with the regulation that states that you are not allowed to stay for more than 28 days on a touring caravan site. I had tried to look for 'rented accommodation' but with my circumstances of recent unemployment / pending jobseekers allowance + 2 pet dogs + severley degraded credit rating ALL landlord / letting agents that I have approached have said NO or 'pay the admin fee' then say NO.

I found this brief piece of info on the DWP website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/rr2/housingbenefit/02.asp
Mobile homes and caravans

You may be able to get help from HB to meet any site fees you have to pay in order to live in your caravan. If you have to pay interest on a loan to buy your caravan you can claim help from Pension Credit, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Hapless_2

We did but it was a permenant sited caravan. We were told that as it was a permenant site then we could (we were renting the caravan too) but if it is a touring site then no.

0002

I did a search on Google and found a 'claim form' for a district councils "somewhere" in scotland, on the type of accommodation 'Touring caravan' is one of the options.

See this link:

http://www.stirling.gov.uk/b3-2.pdf

Does anybody know of similar in England?

Morglin

In England, HB can only be paid for renting a static van.

If you cannot get rented accomodation, then contact SHELTER, who will always give good advice about the best way to proceed:

http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/index.cfm

Lin

Armytent

I am a site owner in cornwall and housing benefit for site fees in itself has been granted time and again. Our problems started because I did not have planning permission. Having said that, benefit was paid to the tenants, and therefore me, until the site was closed. Sites vary from 28 days use without permission to seasonal permits and all year use.
From a siteowners point of veiw if he is going to break any rules make sure you get on with your neighbours.

dmg24

This thread is three years old!

[Deleted User]

happy birthday dear thread :-)