Can my mum sell her house and move in with me?

Amnotatallsure

I am on child tax credits, working tax credits and I work a few hours a week. I have one child and live in a housing association house. I have been in debt and my mum wants to sell her house and move in with me, to clear my debts, her mortgage is paid for. 
Mum is also unwell so claiming carers allowance. Is this okay to do?

p00hsticks

Amnotatallsure said:

Mum is also unwell so claiming carers allowance. Is this okay to do?

Do you mean that you are claiming (or are considering claiming) carers allowance to look after her ?
What benefits is she on ? 

teachmehow66

How much are your debts? Could you move in to your mum's house instead as her mortgage is paid off? How big is your HA home? Social housing rarely provides additional rooms - so if its just you and your daughter, I would expect you have no more than 2 bedrooms. 

Alice_Holt

Amnotatallsure said:

Mum is also unwell so claiming carers allowance. 

        You need to be precise about this.

        Do you mean Attendance Allowance ?

        CA is a benefit which can be claimed by those providing care. 

        Is she in receipt of Pension Credit ?


     How would the HA tenancy work ?   Have you asked the HA about it?

kaMelo

The short answer is yes, your mother is free to do as she wishes with her home and money, but depending upon her and your situation there may be consequences if she does what you suggest.

Does your mother claim a means tested benefit? If so, paying off your debt with the proceeds of her home may well affect that. Similarly should she need care in the future, disposing of the proceeds from her home by paying your debts could exclude her from that. Given you've already said she is unwell, how likely is it care may be needed.

Also tax credits are ending, you would need to know your situation on Universal Credit and how your mum moving in may or may not affect that.

Before anyone can give a meaningful answer you would need to give us the whole picture of both you and your mother.

Amnotatallsure

Okay, I'm actually concerned about my friend, it isn't actually me, I am semi retired, with grown up children. I am concerned because I don't want my friend in trouble and getting in more debt whilst trying to sort out the debts she has already. Sorry I was asking on her behalf. However my friend is 38 living in a housing association home. She has a daughter and has a two bed home. She works term time only 33 hours a week as a TA,  Sorry universal credit is what my friend is on. Keep forgetting it changed
Her debts totalled around £40,000 mainly due to car financing, credit /store cards and shopping catalogues.
Her mum is mid 70's and has a few health problems, which are life limiting. She is in and out of hospital. She has pension credits and her old age pension, her house was worth over £200,000. 
My friend says it is carers allowance not attendance allowance, which is a bit weird as we had to apply for attendance allowance for my dad. 
My friend is an only child. So inheritance would be all hers anyway. 
Thanks for your help. 

sheramber

It would be better if your friend posted herself.

As youv’e discovered third party enquiries are difficult  as not all information is given or wrong information is given. 

Rubyroobs

If the mum is already disabled enough to be claiming Attendance Allowance or another disability benefit, then she does need to consider that if she should need care in the future, then the local authority can look back to see where the large proceeds of her house have gone and could treat her as if she still has that money - look up deprivation of assets rules.
the mum would not be receiving carers allowance unless caring for someone else for 35 hours a week which considering her life limiting illnesses seems unlikely.

Amnotatallsure

She is worried about asking, in case it gets her in trouble. Hence why I am asking. To be fair, her mum has already moved in and sold her house a few weeks ago. 
So what has been done is done and trying to work out if she needs to inform any one in order not to have cheated the benefit system. 

Spoonie_Turtle

kaMelo said:

Does your mother claim a means tested benefit? If so, paying off your debt with the proceeds of her home may well affect that. Similarly should she need care in the future, disposing of the proceeds from her home by paying your debts could exclude her from that. Given you've already said she is unwell, how likely is it care may be needed.

This will be the major problem financially, then.  The mother claiming Pension Credit and the likelihood of needing care seems quite high.

Amnotatallsure said:

My friend says it is carers allowance not attendance allowance, which is a bit weird as we had to apply for attendance allowance for my dad. 

This can only be correct if the mother is caring for someone else.
Plus nobody can claim Carers Allowance or the UC carer element for caring for the mother if she doesn't claim a disability benefit herself.


Depending on the size of the mother's home it could be better to move in with her there.  Financially the friend could be better off, no rent to pay (obviously still paying her own way, but not actual rent required) and a smaller deduction from UC since her work allowance would increase.

EDIT: didn't see the previous post that it has been done.  It's unlikely to affect the friend's benefits particularly (aside from losing CT single discount) but alas major implications for the Mum.

Alice_Holt

Her mum needs to talk to Pension Credit as she may now not be eligible for the disability element of PC, or indeed PC with savings from the house sale. This is urgent to prevent overpayments.

Your friend needs to make her local council aware that she does not qualify for the single persons discount.

Your friend should seek debt advice with £40k of debt.

Has she cleared this with the HA - how does 3 generations work in a 2 bed property?