My dad has passed away and my mum needs help with council tax and rent, don't know what to do, help!

Millyalfie123

Hi need some help and advice please. My dad passed away on the 15th October 2021. I contacted all the right people to stop any benefits he was recieveing as well as the council. My mum has received a letter saying she has to pay rent as well as the council tax to the property which has been back dated to the day my dad passed away. The property is council owned which is rented from them. My mum is claiming pip as well as state pension, I have put a claim in for pension credit for her on the 15/11/2021 as we didn't know if she was entilted to it. I have back dated it till the 15/10/2021 when my dad passed away. She doesn't own any property or land etc. I claim carers allowance for my mum and don't permanently live home but do stay 2-3 times a week there. It's been quite stressful atm with sorting things out as well as him passing away, we don't know what to do about the coucil tax and rent. I have spoken to citzen advice as well as age uk but they have just said apply for pension credit and see how you get on. Thank you for any replies and any help you may have.

Robin9

Is your mum paying the single person Council Tax ie a reduction of 25%

Millyalfie123

Hi yes she has had a letter saying she will get the single person discount, but with her pip she is on standard rate for and her state pension she isn't going to be able to afford it. She has a prepayment card meter, which she get the cards from the council which is anywhere between £40-£60 a week they cost. Not sure how she is going to live tbh.

calcotti

Has she applied for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction from the local authority? Whether or not she is entitled will depend on her finances. A benefits calculator will give you an idea
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=cd4f5a93-4f0d-49b5-b145-bb513bf27d54

Do you know how much her State Pension is and is that her only income? If her total income at present is below £177.10/week there will be Pension Credit entitlement assuming no savings over £10,000.

if she has any entitlement to Pension Credit she will then get full HB and CTR but she should still make the claims now.

(Note, it is possible that her State Pension will increase if she is eligible to inherit any of dad’s State Pension.)

Alice_Holt

I'd contact the council and make an application for Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction. 

If awarded PC  then she will be automatically passported to these (in full), however I can't see a difficulty in applying now. Request a backdate to 15/10.

  

Millyalfie123

Hi her state pension they said she will be enitiled to some of dad's which will make it to £149.43 a week, then she gets every month her pip, which is the standard rate. She has just over £8500 in a joint savings account with me. When applied for pension credit last night they said about housing benefit and they will pass that on to them and do that automately but I'm not sure if they will do that or if I have to do that, as I know people have had problems with that before etc. And if I do apply for that and they haven't im not sure what i'm suppose to say to them. As I stay 2-3 days a week but then go back over to my partners I don't know if they would class that as my permanent home or if I moved back home permanently would make things better or worse for her.

calcotti

Millyalfie123 said:

Hi her state pension they said she will be enitiled to some of dad's which will make it to £149.43 a week, then she gets every month her pip, which is the standard rate. She has just over £8500 in a joint savings account with me. ..

The PIP is ignored for Pension Credit so if her only income other than PIP is the state Pension she will be entitled to Pension Credit and therefore HB will pay the rent and Council Tax Reduction will pay the Council Tax. 

She needs to apply for Council Tax Reduction and to be safe I would apply for HB too but say that’s you understand that a claim may already be coming through via Pension Credit.

if your belongings are mostly with your partner then your partner’s house is your normal residence but if your belongings are mostly at mum’s then this may be considered your normal residence in which case you will be expected to contribute to rent and Council Tax. What address do you use for correspondence? (Edit - If mum I stopped getting Daily Living PIP you would not be expected to contribute to HB or CTR.)

In the short term ask Council Tax to hold off chasing any payments while CTR is applied for and similarly ask rent management Tom hold off chasing rent while HB is applied for.

Millyalfie123

Alice_Holt said:

I'd contact the council and make an application for Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction. 

If awarded PC  then she will be automatically passported to these (in full), however I can't see a difficulty in applying now. Request a backdate to 15/10.

  

Hi thanks, I have applied for pension credit for her last night as we only heard about it on Friday and as it was the day after my dad's funeral I didn't want to look in to it tbh, was making sure my mum was ok. Then looked about it on the weekend after I finished work and rang them on Monday to apply but did it online instead as they said it will be quicker to do then through the post. I back dated to the 15/10 as well which they said to do. Im hoping she will be enilted to it then want have to worry or stress over the council tax and rent. I've just looked into the council tax to and they say she be enilted to council tax support but some of the questions they are asking im not sure on. I'm going to ring them tomorrow if I'm back from work and hopefuly they can help, but they seem useless tbh and they just don't want to know, when I rang before about it, that's why I came on here to see what people say. i'm not sure to move back home permanent to see if that will help her out with her benefits or if that will make things worse for. Things are just confusing when it comes to benefits and what help she is entitled to. Thanks

Millyalfie123

calcotti said:

Millyalfie123 said:

Hi her state pension they said she will be enitiled to some of dad's which will make it to £149.43 a week, then she gets every month her pip, which is the standard rate. She has just over £8500 in a joint savings account with me. ..

The PIP is ignored for Pension Credit so if her only income other than PIP is the state Pension she will be entitled to Pension Credit and therefore HB will pay the rent and Council Tax Reduction will pay the Council Tax.

She needs to apply for Council Tax Reduction and to be safe I would apply for HB too but say that’s you understand that a claim may already be coming through via Pension Credit.

if your belongings are mostly with your partner then your partner’s house is your normal residence but if your belongings are mostly at mum’s then this may be considered your normal residence in which case you will be expectedly to contribute to rent and Council Tax. What address do you use for correspondence?

In the short term ask Council Tax to hold off chasing any payments while CTR is applied for and similarly ask rent management Tom hold off chasing rent while HB is applied for.

Oh ok I didn't know her pip is ignored for pension credit. Yeah they said a claim will go through but I'm like I don't know if I should just make a claim for her as well to make sure. Most of my belongings are at my partners as well as letters go through to his as well. But I wasn't sure if I should move back home to help her out as she has lost dad now being on her own etc and I also claim carers for her as I'm here main carer and droped my hours down and only work 2 days a week. I don't want her to struggle and worrid something might happen to her.

calcotti

Moving home will not help her benefits.

Millyalfie123

calcotti said:

Moving home will not help her benefits.

Ok thanks, I wasn't sure what I should do tbh, I see her everyday anyway and stay 2-3 days a week with her, one because my job is 5 minutes from her and saves money on fuel driving back and forth on the 2 days a work. I just want to make sure she is ok, I know I see her everyday and go and help her but it's not the same than living with her. I just don't want to make things worse for her and if I move in it will then I want move back home. She doesn't need any more stress and upset as what she has already.