Travelling abroad and housing benefits

youbootoo

Hi

I am hoping someone will be able to provide advice.

My mum is currently in receipt of housing benefit and her council tax is also paid for by the council too. She rents privately and me and my sister top up the shortfall in rent. She has little to no savings.

Her landlord recently gave notice as she is selling the property; and this coincides with a long trip abroad for my mum - approx 3 months. So we are going to put her belongings in storage.

She will need to inform the council and they will obviously stop paying the benefits to her. My question is, how easy will it be to reapply for the benefits once she returns from abroad? We will be looking to find a new house in the same area.

Thanks in advance

Flugelhorn

Presume she will have to start her claims again (is she on UC or state pension ?)  when she comes back and finds a new place - main problem I suspect in finding a new place would be the savings for the deposit 

KxMx

If she is under pension age, she will need to apply for Universal Credit to get help with rent via Housing Element. 

Over pension age, she will need to apply for Housing Benefit from her local authority. 

For either, the Habitual Residency Test will need to be satisfied.

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/habitual-residence-test/benefits-the-habitual-residence-applies-to

youbootoo

Flugelhorn said:

Presume she will have to start her claims again (is she on UC or state pension ?)  when she comes back and finds a new place - main problem I suspect in finding a new place would be the savings for the deposit 

She is a pensioner. I can help with a deposit. Any idea how long the process is for reapplying?

marcia_

youbootoo said:

Flugelhorn said:

Presume she will have to start her claims again (is she on UC or state pension ?)  when she comes back and finds a new place - main problem I suspect in finding a new place would be the savings for the deposit 

She is a pensioner. I can help with a deposit. Any idea how long the process is for reapplying?

 Assuming you provide all the required evidence, income, savings, tenancy etc it will be a few weeks. 

Rubyroobs

youbootoo said:

Flugelhorn said:

Presume she will have to start her claims again (is she on UC or state pension ?)  when she comes back and finds a new place - main problem I suspect in finding a new place would be the savings for the deposit 

She is a pensioner. I can help with a deposit. Any idea how long the process is for reapplying?

All councils are different. In our local one it's about 3-4 wees for housing benefit.