Renting from the Council

Running_Horse

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

Why? Defrauding the tax payer is our business.

Do you have any evidence of this, apart from some ill-informed gossip on the Internet?

If they had any evidence then no doubt they would have reported it before now.

pretty17

I am not asking anyone to do anything for me. I just wonder if anyone knows the laws of living in a rented Council House. I don't feel it is right that people can defraud the system when the rest of us have a conscience and wouldn't dream of doing so.
We all want to save money thats why we have come to this website, however that is not the way to do it.

Strapped

OTOH, if the elderly mother is on disability benefits, then she is entitled to housing benefit for her accomodation. If she requires a live-in carer, then she'll be assessed as needing at least two bedrooms. If he is living there with the carer, then he's not taking up any additional room (since he presumably shares the carer's bedroom). I can't see that there's a huge problem. If they didn't live there, then the council would need to supply a carer, at considerably higher cost than the amount of council rent. You say that the wife will earn £800 pw from home (love to know what she does, btw, as that's a good whack for working from home!) BUT as we don't know her, perhaps she could earn several times that if she were free to work away from the home? It might be fraud, it might not, but I wouldn't personally feel obliged to report it.

pretty17

Its not ill informed unless the guy is telling stories to my husband for some reason!! I am not asking anyone on here to contact the fraud department. As a said in my last post I just wondered if anyone knows how it all works.

Running_Horse

The laws of living in a rented council house?

I wasn't aware they were any different to the laws of living in any other house. Is this down to jealousy they have council housing? Or does that make them more accountable to you than someone in a private house?

If you think they have broken the law then report them. If not, mind your own business.

neverdespairgirl

Running_Horse wrote: »

Do you have any evidence of this, apart from some ill-informed gossip on the Internet?

None whatsoever. That's the Council's job, not mine.

pretty17

This going no where. I always thought that you had to fit a certain criteria to be allocated acouncil house - no I am not jealous I would much rather work for and pay for what I've got.

msmicawber

In order to get a Council house, you need to be on the housing list and have so many points (awarded due to your individual circumstances), then once you have sufficient points/get to the top of the list, you are offered a house. However, once you're in the house your circumstances are not constantly re-appraised, if that's what you're asking. I've heard of people living in a Council house being asked to move to a smaller properly after their spouse dies if there are no dependent children, but other than that or non-payment of rent or anti-social behaviour, I don't think there are too many grounds for tenants to have their rights to a house removed.

RecoveringAlcoholic

(love to know what she does, btw, as that's a good whack for working from home!)

Pulls Tricks?

nessbird

It is likely that the mother is on Guaranteed Pension Credit which is a 'passported' benefit and entitles her to full Housing and council tax benefit, therefore paying all of her rent and council tax. Other people living in the house are classed as 'non-dependants' and a deduction of benefit (and therefore an additional payment due) would only commence after 6 months of the non-dependants having moved in. However, if the mother is also receiving the care component of Disability living allowance (which is likely as the wife/daughter is getting carers allowance) then no deduction for non-dependants would ever be made. This is a perfectly legal scenario, and therefore, it is not that they are living there 'rent free' it is just that they are entitled to full Housing benefit which meets all of the rental liability. I hope this helps, but if you are in doubt then it's no hassle to make an anonoymous call, after all it is tax payers money that we are trying to protect. No-one minds people receving benefits that they are entitled to and no-one will mind answering questions if they have nothing to hide. xx