Being a lodger and claiming Universal Credit

Spoonie_Turtle

calcotti said:

Spoonie_Turtle said: No, you would get the shared accommodation rate because you are under 35 and presumably single with no children, which is what the link calcotti gave would have shown you.  

Which is what I have already told the OP!

calcotti said: ...the maximum amount of help will be restricted to the shared room Local Housing Allowance for the postcode. https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Search.aspx

D'oh!  I didn't reread your post since seeing it last night so forgot you'd actually explicitly said it. 

Yeah, OP you need to actually read the answers you're given - I know the world of benefits can be confusing to navigate but when you're given direct, concrete answers on here, you can trust them.  The posters do know what they're saying, and if any incorrect advice is accidentally given it is always soon corrected by someone else noticing the mistake.

calcotti

poppy12345 said:

Makes you wonder whether the OP has even bothered to read any of the links posted.

Unfortunately they appear not to have understand the posts themselves let alone any links.

RainyDays1999

To everyone commenting, I did read the links. So stop assuming I didn't.

calcotti

RainyDays1999 said:

To everyone commenting, I did read the links. So stop assuming I didn't.

My concern is not what you have or have not read but that you appear not to have understood it.

kimwp

calcotti said:

RainyDays1999 said:

To everyone commenting, I did read the links. So stop assuming I didn't.

My concern is not what you have or have not read but that you appear not to have understood it.

Which is ok and it is good that @RainyDays1999 is asking questions to clarify. It's very easy to miss pertinent detail when unfamiliar with a subject. 
@RainyDays1999, do you want to lay out your current understanding so we can check it's all clear to you?

definedrisk

Sorry to jump on an old thread.. hopefully this is the right thing to do..

For a single mother (with one 10yr old daughter) on universal credit, she is currently living with friends and not paying any rent, sharing a single bedroom with her daughter (two single beds). She can receive two-bedroom rate LHA from UC if and when she moves out of the property. But she is struggling to find this accommodation in the area that she wants to live. If she chooses to 1) rent a one-bedroom property, can she still receive this 2-bedroom rate maximum or is it capped at the 1 bed rate? 2) If she chooses to become a lodger with an excluded license agreement, can she still claim this 2-bedroom rate as a maximum or is it capped at the shared rate? 3) If she chooses to become a lodger with an excluded license agreement and occupies two bedrooms under the excluded license agreement (as a lodger) for her and her daughter, can she still claim this 2-bedroom rate as a maximum or is it capped at the shared rate or some other rate? 

Essentially, she is struggling to find two-bedroom property for a sensible price, needs to find her own accommodation because she cannot continue to live with friends indefinitely and is happy to share a bedroom with her daughter as she has been doing.

Thank you for any advice. We have asked the same question directly of UC but it would be appreciated if anyone has any comparable experience.

calcotti

She is entitled to the 2 bedroom LHA rate or her actual rent, whichever is lower. The applicable LHA is set by the need as defined in the rules, not by the property actually occupied

HillStreetBlues

If she does decide to  lodge, she will need a lodgers agreement that shows rent amount.