Living in a caravan

evosy1978

Hi all

Maybe there is a better place to post this?

I split from misses 6 months ago.
I left the family home, she and the kids stayed.   Everything is fine between us.

She now claims some universal credit for childcare only.
She now pays a reduced council tax.

We have agreed I can move back to the house, but I'm going to live in a caravan at the end of the very big garden that we have. It makes alot sense.

My question,  do we have to declare it to the council tax and universal credit departments and will that payment and reduction stop?

Many thanks 

TripleH

I don't know the legal ins and outs but playing devil's advocate, a third party would argue that you have moved back into the family home so all benefis and reliefs would stop.

The council would see you living on the property (if not in the house). You connection to the occupants of the house would be perceived as being too close to be construed as anything but an underhand way of claiming what you aren't entitled to.

I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong with the advice above. It is merely how it could be viewed and I suspect the onus would be on you to demonstrate otherwise.

Northern_Wanderer

Excluding the benefits situation, there are tight rules about living in caravans permanently.

SavingPennies_2

evosy1978 said:

Hi all

Maybe there is a better place to post this?

I split from misses 6 months ago.
I left the family home, she and the kids stayed.   Everything is fine between us.

She now claims some universal credit for childcare only.
She now pays a reduced council tax.

We have agreed I can move back to the house, but I'm going to live in a caravan at the end of the very big garden that we have. It makes alot sense.

My question,  do we have to declare it to the council tax and universal credit departments and will that payment and reduction stop?

Many thanks 

Actually it doesn't make sense, and it would imply you are back together/ working on getting back together, as this would be quite an unusual living arrangement for a couple who have genuinely split up, because presumably you are living somewhere else now so you have made alternative living arrangements but are choosing to move back into the family home. Do you see this as a long term arrangement? If so best notify the relevant people so you can cover you back.

evosy1978

SavingPennies_2 said:

evosy1978 said:

Hi all

Maybe there is a better place to post this?

I split from misses 6 months ago.
I left the family home, she and the kids stayed.   Everything is fine between us.

She now claims some universal credit for childcare only.
She now pays a reduced council tax.

We have agreed I can move back to the house, but I'm going to live in a caravan at the end of the very big garden that we have. It makes alot sense.

My question,  do we have to declare it to the council tax and universal credit departments and will that payment and reduction stop?

Many thanks 

Actually it doesn't make sense, and it would imply you are back together/ working on getting back together, as this would be quite an unusual living arrangement for a couple who have genuinely split up, because presumably you are living somewhere else now so you have made alternative living arrangements but are choosing to move back into the family home. Do you see this as a long term arrangement? If so best notify the relevant people so you can cover you back.

I can't afford the place where I am currently.  I don't see my kids as much as I could, it's effecting my mental health plus other reasons. We are now really good friends. 
It makes sense when you know all the facts and information I suppose. 

SavingPennies_2

evosy1978 said:

SavingPennies_2 said:

evosy1978 said:

Hi all

Maybe there is a better place to post this?

I split from misses 6 months ago.
I left the family home, she and the kids stayed.   Everything is fine between us.

She now claims some universal credit for childcare only.
She now pays a reduced council tax.

We have agreed I can move back to the house, but I'm going to live in a caravan at the end of the very big garden that we have. It makes alot sense.

My question,  do we have to declare it to the council tax and universal credit departments and will that payment and reduction stop?

Many thanks 

Actually it doesn't make sense, and it would imply you are back together/ working on getting back together, as this would be quite an unusual living arrangement for a couple who have genuinely split up, because presumably you are living somewhere else now so you have made alternative living arrangements but are choosing to move back into the family home. Do you see this as a long term arrangement? If so best notify the relevant people so you can cover you back.

I can't afford the place where I am currently.  I don't see my kids as much as I could, it's effecting my mental health plus other reasons. We are now really good friends. 
It makes sense when you know all the facts and information I suppose. 

Sure that's fair enough but with this arrangement there is not a clear distinction of you not living in the same home (for benefits and council tax purposes).

sheramber

There are rules about using a caravan  in the garden as a separate dwelling , rather than extra space for a house, so you need to check with your local planning department.  You may need planning permission.

You  would probably also to pay council tax for it as it will be a separate dwelling.

Schwarzwald

evosy1978 said:

I can't afford the place where I am currently.  I don't see my kids as much as I could, it's effecting my mental health plus other reasons. We are now really good friends. 
It makes sense when you know all the facts and information I suppose. 

It might make perfect sense to you based on all the facts and that might be even genuine, even if highly unusual.
But if the UC and CT reductions are subject to you two having split, it might be a v tough case convincing any neutral officer that you indeed have genuinely split up and you now became a neutral lodger who just happens to live in/on the same property/house.

But maybe you can prove it

ProDave

SavingPennies_2 said:

evosy1978 said:

Hi all

Maybe there is a better place to post this?

I split from misses 6 months ago.
I left the family home, she and the kids stayed.   Everything is fine between us.

She now claims some universal credit for childcare only.
She now pays a reduced council tax.

We have agreed I can move back to the house, but I'm going to live in a caravan at the end of the very big garden that we have. It makes alot sense.

My question,  do we have to declare it to the council tax and universal credit departments and will that payment and reduction stop?

Many thanks 

Actually it doesn't make sense, and it would imply you are back together/ working on getting back together, as this would be quite an unusual living arrangement for a couple who have genuinely split up, because presumably you are living somewhere else now so you have made alternative living arrangements but are choosing to move back into the family home. Do you see this as a long term arrangement? If so best notify the relevant people so you can cover you back.

Not as unusual as you might think.

A neighbour here have split up, the bloke moved out with his mistress, but that has broken down as well now, and he is back living in a caravan in the garden while is wife is in the house. They will remain like that until they can sell the house and split properly.

jacko74

As hard as it is to believe parents can claim they're ''separated'' but remain living under the same roof and as long as they can demonstrate that they're not financially linked can claim benefits as a supposed ''single parent''.

Just another example of how ludicrously generous, profligate and not fit for purpose certain aspects of the benefits system can be.

SuseOrm

It’s not hard to believe that all, my ex-husband had to live in my front room for nearly 2 years because he couldn’t afford to move out.  I didn’t have it in me to make him homeless although it turns out he had it in him to make me homeless so it was a hard lesson learnt,  and I couldn’t work without his assistance in the way of childcare overnight.  During that period we both very much considered ourselves single.