17 yr old living alone HB?

Mrs_Muckle

My daughter has chosen to live in a shared house with a benefactor who selects young people who cannot live at home for whatever reason. I do not wish to go into the details of why she cannot live with parents.

She has to pay £350 per month to stay in the house and she has a full time course at college starting September 2015. She will be 18 in September also. I am on ESA and high rate PIP for cares but have managed to get her first two months rent together and people have given her bits and pieces to go with. She does not have any other bills to pay. She has 8 hours waitressing at £3.69 an hour per week. Her father left us when she was 5 years old so not much hope of help there.

Does anyone know if she will be able to claim benefit for her rent?

Thank you.

[Deleted User]

the budget limits HB to the over 21s,i think now its over 18s,there can be exceptions
tbh i wouldn't describe someone charging a 17 year old £350 a month for a room as a "benefactor",unless of course its in chelsea?

duchy

Perhaps she needs to find a second job.
Most college courses even if billed fulltime don't actually have that much "contact time" (required hours they need to be in college)

HappyMJ

Full time students don't normally get HB so probably...no she won't get anything.

pmlindyloo

Your daughter should apply for Income Support as she is estranged from her parent.

She will then be eligible for HB at the shared house rate.

https://www.gov.uk/income-support/eligibility

If you are still claiming Child benefit for her you should be giving her this money.

Don't forget to cancel your claim for child tax credits.

Mrs_Muckle

I have not claimed child benefit for 2 years and I do pay maintenance for her. Why would you think I do not pmlindyloo. I have never had tax credits for her. I was working until last year, 45 hours a week.

I was not aware that income support still existed so will look into that. She may get more hours at work once she is established and knows what she has to commit to college. She is doing a professional chefs level 2, a three year course.

HappyMJ what are students in college supposed to pay rent with? It seems unfair that she should be penalised through no fault of her own, or mine come to that.
No woodbine, not Chelsea, but the reason she is called a benefactor is because not many places take under 19 year olds. We have been grateful for the place tbh. Just got to find a way to make it work.

duchy

If she's studying catering the obvious solution is she registers with agencies who supply staff to catered functions for weekend work.

As for what are students expected to do ...... live at home as parents can claim tax credits and child benefit to support them , work whilst they study or parents support them. Apart from young people leaving care -that is the expectation. Why should other taxpayers support other "wants" rather than needs.

The other option would be to find an apprenticeship which would bring in low earnings (and possibly qualify for HB as she'd be classed as working) which would have college day release leading to the same qualifications - more slowly but sometimes if money is an issue the longer route is the sensible one.

Mrs_Muckle

Duchy I find that rather judgemental, I have paid high rate tax for over 30 years. We now find ourselves in a very difficult situation. My daughter has not caused the situation and neither have I. It is just too complicated and too painful to explain. She should have been able to go to college last year at 16 but due to her circumstances she could not.

Now she is trying to better herself it seems that she is being thwarted at every turn. She will work, and has done before, but she cannot earn enough when the wage for her age is under £4 an hour. She would have to work 100 hours a month just to pay rent, she has transport costs to work and college.

You know what I give up, she can claim jsa, sit on her bum do nothing, next year shell out a kid, then another, that is 12 years. We will worry about it then.

How much is she gonna cost your tax payer then duchy

marliepanda

Mrs_Muckle wrote: »

You know what I give up, she can claim jsa, sit on her bum do nothing, next year shell out a kid, then another, that is 12 years. We will worry about it then.

How much is she gonna cost your tax payer then duchy

What a disgusting way to talk about your daughter.

I am glad she is out of your home

bell123321

If she's entitled to claim for income support she can then get help with housing benefit. Maybe worth popping to job centre as her case does not sound common and they maybe able to tell her what she's entitled to.

bloolagoon

Mrs_Muckle wrote: »

I have not claimed child benefit for 2 years and I do pay maintenance for her. Why would you think I do not pmlindyloo. I have never had tax credits for her. I was working until last year, 45 hours a week.

I was not aware that income support still existed so will look into that. She may get more hours at work once she is established and knows what she has to commit to college. She is doing a professional chefs level 2, a three year course.

HappyMJ what are students in college supposed to pay rent with? It seems unfair that she should be penalised through no fault of her own, or mine come to that.
No woodbine, not Chelsea, but the reason she is called a benefactor is because not many places take under 19 year olds. We have been grateful for the place tbh. Just got to find a way to make it work.

Still not sure what you mean by benefactor. Is this someone she is in a relationship with, a friend or a stranger. If it's a stranger could you not find someone else to help. Does she have any friends, siblings. Could you use your BTL property for her.