Housing benefit

c-m

I am about to become unemployed. Unfortunately it comes at the same time as moving house into an apartment/flat with my girlfriend.

For a short while I will be forced to claim housing benefit.

I'm concered that as will be living with someone who is in full time employment (but doesn't earn much at all) - will I still be able to receive full housing benefit i.e my half of the rent and council tax?

stuckonthephonewithidiots

the amount of benefit you will get depends on what income is coming in. try this website...https://www.entitledto.com ... it has a benefits calculator which includes housing benefit and council tax benefit

c-m

I will have £0 income and the person I will be living with will have £12k

I was previously (just after graduating) in shared accommadtion and had a seperate tennancy agreemnent - I received my full rent and council tax contributions.

Is sharing a place and getting a seperate agreement the way to go?

I will still be working when applying for the house and while all the checks are going through - but shortly afterwards I will not have have a job (though expect to be working again within 2-3months)

seven-day-weekend

If you are living toggether as husband and wife, your claim will be assessed on joint income.

c-m

No we wont really be living together as husband and wife. Its just more convienient sharing a place as we'll both be finishing our respective tennancies at the same time due the landloards moving, sell up etc...

I checked the entitledto.com website and I could not find a box where you input your rent. It asked how much JSA I recieve which is £0 at the moment and how much LHA I receive which again is £0

stuckonthephonewithidiots

Even though you say "you wont really be living together as husband and wife" you will still be assessed on a joint income.

needaspirin

You will be assessed as a couple.

You would only get some HB if:
• She works less than 30 hours, therefore does not receive Working Tax Credit and
• You do not receive Contribution Based Jobseekers Allowance. (You will not receive Income Based Jobseekers Allowance if she works more than 24 hours)

You can get a full assessment by visiting your local CAB.

c-m

Oh right so signing seperate tennacy agreements like students do doesn't make a difference.

I moved into a place a year ago renting from a private landlord. 4 other people lived in the house too. When my employment contract finished I claimed housing benefit and JSA - no one elses income was assessed, in fact they they probably wouldn't have disclosed their income to me anyway.

I fail to see how this different - I presume I have some reading to do.

needaspirin

I'm afraid you shot yourself in the foot as soon as you said you were moving in with your girlfriend. The DWP will undoubtedly consider you as a couple.

If she does receive WTC however, a small amount of HB would start to apply if the rent was above £316 per month.

Without complete details of both circumstances it is hard to be more precise

dmg24

needaspirin wrote: »

You will be assessed as a couple.

You would only get some HB if:
• She works less than 30 hours, therefore does not receive Working Tax Credit and
• You do not receive Contribution Based Jobseekers Allowance. (You will not receive Income Based Jobseekers Allowance if she works more than 24 hours)

You can get a full assessment by visiting your local CAB.

They may still apply for some LHA if she works more than thirty hours and the LHA for the area is significantly high (e.g. earning NMW and living in Kensington - extreme example!).

c-m, if you go to the benefits section of your local council, there is a benefits calculator on there that tends to be more accurate than entitledto. Your local website should also list the level of LHA that you should be entitled to, before your gf's income has been taken into account.

If you are planning to share a bed with your gf, and/ or have sex with her, then you are a couple! If you claimed otherwise you will be making a fraudulent claim. If you ever want to get a decent job, you do not want criminal convictions on your record!

c-m

I haven't applied for anything yet as i'm still working. Its a precarious situation.

It might be financially better to move into seperate shared housing instead then or just break up.