On Universal Credit, and moved back in with parents, do I have to pay rent?

Solid_Bruce

Parents are pensioners and on low income.  They get full housing benefits and council tax benefits which means they pay next to nothing.

I may be staying here for 1 year to pick myself back up.

Do I need to tell the council? How to tell the council?

How would this affect their benefits?

Do I need to pay anything?  If so how much?

Many Thanks

calcotti

They must tell the council benefits team who administer Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. Unless at least one of them gets a disability benefit their Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction may reduce.

Spoonie_Turtle

You won't get the housing costs element of UC, just to be clear, as you are presumably not on the tenancy and therefore not legally liable for rent.

[However, whether you ought to pay a contribution towards rent and utilities and how much is a conversation for you to have with your family, particularly if the financial support they receive is reduced due to you staying there.]

[Deleted User]

You would be classed as a "non dependant" and they will lose some of their HB and/or CTR unless as calcotti says they receive a disability benefit, I would imagine that the right thing to do would be to compensate them for any loss/and any additional expense of you living there. You should be able to find out how much the non dependant deduction might be from the councils website.
They must inform the council the day you move in initially a phone call should suffice.

MalMonroe

As venison says, you will be classed as a 'non-dependant' - and you'll be expected to contribute to rent and council tax, so your parents' benefits will be adjusted accordingly.

Your parents can report a change of circumstances online, stating the date you moved in, and then the benefits section of the council will write to your parents to let them know how their benefits are affected.  You and your parents can then decide how much you will contribute to household expenses - because you will have to give them something, especially if their benefits are cut because you are living with them.

There's a lot more info from the government here :  https://www.gov.uk/report-benefits-change-circumstances

A_Lert

A non-dependant deduction may be taken from their benefits, based on the benefits your parents get. If they are on legacy Housing Benefit, the deduction ranges from £15.85 to £102.35 per week depending on your employment status and income. If they are on Universal Credit, the deduction is a flat £75.15 per month regardless of your income. As mentioned, if your parents receive certain disability benefits the deduction is not applied.

You cannot claim a housing element on your own Universal Credit to pay rent to a close family member. Which means that between you and your parents, you'll have to come up with that £15.85 a week or whatever the deduction is.

Spoonie_Turtle

If they are both over pension age it will definitely be Housing Benefit they receive; here are details about non-dependant deductions: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/benefits/housing_benefit_deductions_when_living_with_non-dependants

Council Tax Support is separate.

calcotti

A_Lert said:

.. If they are on Universal Credit, the deduction is a flat £75.15 per month regardless of your income. ...

According to OP they are both pensioners. Therefore they are not on UC.

calcotti

venison said:

You would be classed as a "non dependant" and they will lose some of their HB and/or CTR unless as calcotti says they receive a disability benefit,

Not necessarily. There is no HB non-dependant deduction for someone under 25 on UC with no earned income for example. We don't have enough information from OP about their own circumstances to know whether or not a non dependant deduction will apply.

bigbill

Ignore all the above!
There will be NO reduction for the first 6 months.

calcotti

bigbill said:

Ignore all the above!
There will be NO reduction for the first 6 months.

I didn’t know that. Thanks, bigbill.