Moving back to Mums (Housing Benefit and Council Tax

som_2020

Hello.
5 years ago I was 21 going into employment from college whilst living at my mothers who at the time claimed housing benefit.
I was only earning £200 week and couldnt keep up with the steep payments, and my mother ended up in debt through it (around (£400)
She kicked me out, and i was left homeless for a year. I eventually made ties with my father and lived with him who owns his own property for a few months, that didnt work -stayed over at different friends houses throughout this time. I have also worked all over England and stayed in b&bs for my job, (weeks+) but throughout these years I have never a had a fixed address since leaving my mothers. At current, I am self-employed and can no longer work due to the coronavirus and stopped working on the 18th March.

Since the coronavirus situation, my mothers cleaners and carers have not been able to come, or have been visiting less frequently, leaving her in a mess. Because of this I have moved in with her over the last couple of weeks. She is severely disabled and claims attendance allowance (which was 3 years ago after a major accident)

As a non dependant, im now wondering if i decide to stay wether
her housing benefit or council tax reduction will be affected.
At current, I am not working due to the situation,
However what will happen when it is safe for me to return to work, will i still be required to pay the council tax and housing even though she is registered as recieving attendance allowance. She has no savings

Im also wondering, with the debt that was supposedly scrapped years ago, theres no way that this could come back to me and decide I should be liable to pay even though my mother was the tenancy and I was a non dependant (She was under 65 and not recieving attendance allowance at this time)

Thankyou!
Saul

calcotti

Because your mother receives Attendance Allowance you are not expected to contribute to her rent or Council Tax so there will be no non-dependant deductions from her Housing Benefit or Council tax reduction. However your mother's benefit entitlement may still be affected if she was previously living alone and no longer is so the council should be informed that you are living there.

If your mother was getting a 25% single person discount on her Council Tax bill she will lose this.As a result her headline Council Tax liability will increase. However her Council Tax Reduction will also increase because it is based on the Council Tax liability. If her Council Tax was fully covered by CTR previously it may still will be.

Any rent debt is your mother's debt, not yours. It may well be that if the debt arose 5 years ago your mother has already paid it off.

Does your mother receive Pension Credit? If so she may have been receiving a Severe Disability Addition because she gets AA and lives alone. Because you are living there she would no longer be entitled to the SDA and her Pension Credit would go down.

If you are able to find out what your mother currently receives it will be easier to advise.

Are you currently claiming any benefits yourself?

som_2020

@calcotti thankyou very much for your detailed help. Shes always had the full Council Tax Reduction, not the 25% single discount.
She does have Pension Credit but i do not think she has ever had Severe Disability addition as she usually has a carer who is paid an allowance to look after her. He usually took her out shopping etc more social calls than daily care needs than that I am doing now since the cleaner she pays privately cannot come anymore (incontinence problems etc) 

So if thats the case that wont affect her Pension Credit will it and Council Tax Reduction will it if i declare myself as a non dependant living there?

Ive been out of work since covid 19, ive claimed and recently recieved my self-employment grant (only £1200) which i used £800 to pay off the loan ive needed to survive over the months

I dont want to claim Universal credit yet as ive not registered as living there because i really dont know if im staying or going, And i really dont want to mess up my mothers housing benefits / council tax again, it caused alot of problems that she was forced to kick me out.

calcotti

If your stay is only temporary you may not wish to report it but if you have no alternative at the moment then it’s effectively permanent - until it isn’t.

On the basis of what you have said your mother’s benefits are not affected even if you are treated as living there.

som_2020

@calcotti

Thankyou for advice, she is now currently trying to report the change of circumstances online.

Do you know how on earth my mums supposed to tell the council my numerous previous addresses ive been at over the last years? Or would she simply just put working away/homeless. 

calcotti

Is there an option for ‘No fixed address’?