Help me

BeeBee1_2

Right here goes.

My dad is on pension credit and doesn't work. I own a flat and I moved out to live with my boyfriend (my dad and a sibling who later moved out, moved in with me as they had no where to live). As I wanted to live with my boyfriend I needed to move out because my dad wanted to keep living in the flat and there is not enough room for the three of us.

My dad applied for housing benefit and it got refused as I have been paying the mortgage for the last two years and I have still to do so even though I legally rented it out to him. This now means I have to pay all my dad bills for him the mortage, gas/electricity the phone each month leaving me hardly any money to look after myself. literally 3/4 of my salary goes before I get it.

I then got a new council tax bill as three people living in a flat do not qualify for the student discount only one person and one student. Not two people and two students.

This is really getting me down as a feel like I should be getting help. I have worked hard all my life and feel like I would be better off on the dole and its the last thing I want to do.

is there any help I can get?

Thanks BeeBee

Suzaan

leaving me hardly any money to look after myself. literally 3/4 of my salary goes before I get it.

agrinnall

You may have to evict your dad so that either the council are required to house him or he finds a rental property on which he can claim HB. To be honest I'm not sure if evicting a family member would trigger either of these anyway. I'd suggest a visit to the CAB so that you can explain properly and get their advice.

Savvy_Sue

What is the sibling contributing in all this?

whitewing

Could your boyfriend/you swap places with dad/sibling. Would that entitle your dad to housing benefit?

uknick

BeeBee1 wrote: »

Right here goes.

My dad is on pension credit and doesn't work. I own a flat and I moved out to live with my boyfriend (my dad and a sibling who later moved out, moved in with me as they had no where to live). As I wanted to live with my boyfriend I needed to move out because my dad wanted to keep living in the flat and there is not enough room for the three of us.

My dad applied for housing benefit and it got refused as I have been paying the mortgage for the last two years and I have still to do so even though I legally rented it out to him. This now means I have to pay all my dad bills for him the mortage, gas/electricity the phone each month leaving me hardly any money to look after myself. literally 3/4 of my salary goes before I get it.

I then got a new council tax bill as three people living in a flat do not qualify for the student discount only one person and one student. Not two people and two students.

This is really getting me down as a feel like I should be getting help. I have worked hard all my life and feel like I would be better off on the dole and its the last thing I want to do.

is there any help I can get?

Thanks BeeBee

Have I got this right? Your father is living in a property you own with a mortgage and you now live elsewhere.

My neighbour rents a property to his mother in law and she gets housing benefit to pay the rent. But, he did have to go to the council and argue the case after it was initially rejected.

You need to treat your father as a legal tenant and get him to sign a lease with you. He will, of course, have to pay you rent.

You will then need to declare the income for tax purposes and do the necessary HMRC paperwork.

The argument given to support this is, if he didn't rent it from you with housing benefit a complete stranger could.