Housing Benefit for young people

GirlFromMars_2

Have you tried phoning the college? They may not have completely shut down over half term, and there may be someone available still to provide her with pastoral care.

I'm very sorry for your loss, and I really hope there's some way your sister can stay in the family home at least until she is finished with college. As she was your mother's carer I imagine she's a very competent independent young woman, but this must still be a very difficult time for you all.

I'm wondering if the council would be able to pay discretionary housing payments to cover any shortfall and make up the rent while your sister is in college? (Even if they wouldn't usually pay more than LHA shared rate for a young person?)

Your sister will also need money to live on, hopefully this should be more straightforward.

Was your sister in touch with any charity organisations that help young carers? They may be able to offer some advice about what happens now, and some support.

If you don't feel you are getting appropriate levels of help from the council and your sister's school, then I think you should contact your local MP and maybe local councillor. As a society, it seems that your sister is the type of person we should be happy and ready to help and support, and I hope there are systems in place to make sure that is the case.

Best wishes for you both.

Poppie68

GirlFromMars wrote: »

Have you tried phoning the school? They may not have completely shut down over half term, and there may be someone available still to provide her with pastoral care.

I'm very sorry for your loss, and I really hope there's some way your sister can stay in the family home at least until she is finished with college. As she was your mother's carer I imagine she's a very competent independent young woman, but this must still be a very difficult time for you all.

I'm wondering if the council would be able to pay discretionary housing payments to cover any shortfall and make up the rent while your sister is in college? (Even if they wouldn't usually pay more than LHA shared rate for a young person?)

Your sister will also need money to live on, hopefully this should be more straightforward.

Was your sister in touch with any charity organisations that help young carers? They may be able to offer some advice about what happens now, and some support.

If you don't feel you are getting appropriate levels of help from the council and your sister's school, then I think you should contact your local MP and maybe local councillor. As a society, it seems that your sister is the type of person we should be happy and ready to help and support, and I hope there are systems in place to make sure that is the case.

Best wishes for you both.

The school?...she is a 19 year old college student...

GirlFromMars_2

Poppie68 wrote: »

The school?...she is a 19 year old college student...

I've edited - just in case anyone else is feels there's such a huge difference between a sixth form as part of a school and a separate college that serves sixth form students.

callum9999

GirlFromMars wrote: »

Have you tried phoning the college? They may not have completely shut down over half term, and there may be someone available still to provide her with pastoral care.

I'm very sorry for your loss, and I really hope there's some way your sister can stay in the family home at least until she is finished with college. As she was your mother's carer I imagine she's a very competent independent young woman, but this must still be a very difficult time for you all.

I'm wondering if the council would be able to pay discretionary housing payments to cover any shortfall and make up the rent while your sister is in college? (Even if they wouldn't usually pay more than LHA shared rate for a young person?)

Your sister will also need money to live on, hopefully this should be more straightforward.

Was your sister in touch with any charity organisations that help young carers? They may be able to offer some advice about what happens now, and some support.

If you don't feel you are getting appropriate levels of help from the council and your sister's school, then I think you should contact your local MP and maybe local councillor. As a society, it seems that your sister is the type of person we should be happy and ready to help and support, and I hope there are systems in place to make sure that is the case.

Best wishes for you both.

Thanks. I assumed they'd be shut down but I'll call them tomorrow. I'm still waiting for a call back from CAB, but it took over an hour continually calling to get through in the first place so I don't have much confidence that will be any time soon!

As to the school/college student thing - they are one and the same under the benefits system. I get the impression that many people on here seem to think it's in the same bracket as university etc.

sheeps68

The 2 made exemptions regarding housing benefit at shared house rate are a young person who has been looked after by a local authority for a period of time and certain disabilities.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

callum9999 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

Yes a shared house is an option. She doesn't really know anyone well enough to move in with (we've only lived here a year and she was my mums carer so only spent the bare minimum of time at college) but finding a room somewhere is definitely being looked at. It would merely be preferable to get a studio flat, particularly as it would be nice not to have to get rid of our dog (a "luxury" I know, but she's almost like a sibling!). At the moment we're in my mums rented house but will need to move out shortly.

She has spoken to the welfare officer at her college and knows she can get income support. The welfare officer apparently told her she'd get the full housing benefit rate, but they are now on half term so I can't go in to make sure she explained her situation properly.

We have enough money to support her at the moment and she will be applying for apprenticeships at the end of the current school year.

She certainly wouldn't want to move that far away and live with my aunt (there is no spare room so it would be on a sofa-bed), and I don't know if there's a suitable college that could take her, but if worst comes to worst then again, it's an option.



Yes she is.

If she is currently living in the same house then the 52 week bereavement protection would kick in and she would get the 2 bedroom HB rate for 52 weeks if the current landlord agrees to continue renting to her.

allen35

If the current LL isn't going to offer the tenancy contact your Council who may have an Housing Options team as she is going to be potentially homeless. Maybe contact Social Services to see if there is any help available as she should still be classed as a young person.

If securing accommodation she can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment to cover the shortfall but this would only be a short term solution.

kingfisherblue

Some councils have units of housing for young people, particularly if they may need some additional support. In our area it is called a forum. Each young person has their own bedroom, bathroom and kitchen area (not sure about lounge). I used to know someone (not well - she was a friend of a friend) who had family problems and she moved into the forum. I saw her once or twice, and she seemed happy there. It might be worth asking your local council if there is a similar scheme near your sister.

callum9999

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

If she is currently living in the same house then the 52 week bereavement protection would kick in and she would get the 2 bedroom HB rate for 52 weeks if the current landlord agrees to continue renting to her.

Thanks - that would be perfect if it definitely applies to her!

My mum was starting the process of claiming HB before she died but never actually got around to completing it. Does it matter that no housing benefit claim is currently being made for the house?

EDIT: I just called the council and although they seemed a little bit uncertain, they say she will be eligible. Thanks a lot everyone for the advice.

Batman_100

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Some councils have units of housing for young people, particularly if they may need some additional support. In our area it is called a forum. Each young person has their own bedroom, bathroom and kitchen area (not sure about lounge). I used to know someone (not well - she was a friend of a friend) who had family problems and she moved into the forum. I saw her once or twice, and she seemed happy there. It might be worth asking your local council if there is a similar scheme near your sister.

I had a friend who moved into one of those once when her parents kicked her out, and she hated every minute of the six months she was there for.


She was the only resident who didn't smoke weed, there were near constant arguments between residents, nobody except her took reasonability for keeping the communal areas clean and tidy, there was a rat infection, the central heating kept breaking down and her bedroom window got smashed once and the people who ran the place (not sure if it was the council or a sub-contractor) made no effort to replace it, the simply replaced the window frame with a sheet of MDF.


Not sure if this was an isolated case or whether all housing projects for homeless young people are like this.