Housing Benefit - Management Fee

24

Comments

  • NeilCr
    NeilCr Posts: 4,430 Forumite
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    Ames wrote: »

    I very much doubt that universal credit will have come across this before, the system's struggling to deal with even straightforward situations. Housing benefit departments will have far more experience than UC.

    I'd agree with this. In our area the staff were not trained on UC until a couple of weeks before it was introduced.

    BristolMan. It certanly is an unusual set up. Can you tell us a bit more? Is it a big/small block? Are there are other apartments where someone is buying a room? Who is the freeholder? Any more details
  • w06
    w06 Posts: 917 Forumite
    I'm not sure it is (better to buy than rent somewhere like that), you'll be sharing communal areas with whoever else lives there, with no control or say in that, that's not a good thing. Think first year undergrad halls of residence, which is ok ish as an 18 year old, but even then soon became tedious

    Are you renting at the moment?
  • BristolMan
    BristolMan Posts: 28 Forumite
    Sure. They were originally built as student accomodation. The rental market in the area changed, and so now they are open to low income workers / people on benefits etc.
  • BristolMan
    BristolMan Posts: 28 Forumite
    w06 wrote: »
    I'm not sure it is (better to buy than rent somewhere like that), you'll be sharing communal areas with whoever else lives there, with no control or say in that, that's not a good thing. Think first year undergrad halls of residence, which is ok ish as an 18 year old, but even then soon became tedious

    Are you renting at the moment?


    Yes I am renting at the moment.
  • atolaas
    atolaas Posts: 1,143 Forumite
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    If you can get someone to be a guarantor for you, it shouldn't be that difficult to find a suitable property to rent. I've done it whilst claiming ESA :-D
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  • BristolMan
    BristolMan Posts: 28 Forumite
    I'm grateful for everyone's help.



    With respect, if we could not talk about whether it's a good idea for me to buy it. I don't have many options here. I'm a former looked-after-child. I don't have anyone I can turn to. I'm unable to leave my current (rented) apartment most days because of my epilepsy. I need somewhere to live. My limited savings will disappear in rent over the coming months. So basically - although I'd not really like to live with unemployed people/students etc - I have to.
  • BristolMan
    BristolMan Posts: 28 Forumite
    atolaas wrote: »
    If you can get someone to be a guarantor for you, it shouldn't be that difficult to find a suitable property to rent. I've done it whilst claiming ESA :-D


    I get that I could get a guarantor. I just need some security at this stage in my life. Because of my upbringing, in care, I've always had a serious complex about having no security. Owning somewhere, no matter how awful, will be a dream for me.
  • Afraid_of_Kittens
    Afraid_of_Kittens Posts: 342 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Anniversary First Post
    Management fees are not eligible for Housing Benefit.

    You will own the property. You will not be renting it.

    You have no eligible rent for Housing Benefit purposes.

    You appear not to be in a shared ownership scheme (where you part own and part rent)

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236953/hbgm-a4-eligible-rent.pdf

    Owner-occupiers
    4.280 All payments made by owner-occupiers, whether the claimant or the partner of the claimant,
    do not qualify for HB, for example
    SSCBA Section 130; HB Reg 2, 12, & (SPC) 2, 12
    !!!8226; mortgage payments
    !!!8226; service charge payments (unless the person occupies the dwelling under a shared
    ownership scheme)
    !!!8226; any other payments made for the owner-occupier!!!8217;s home, such as subscriptions to estate
    management associations (unless the person occupies the dwelling under a shared
    ownership scheme)
    Help with these payments may be given through IS, JSA(IB), ESA(IR) or Pension Credit.
    I enjoy flower arranging, kittens, devil worship, the study of serial killers and their methods and road kill jigsaws.
  • w06
    w06 Posts: 917 Forumite
    I totally get that - i bought a run down house in Liverpool nearly 20 years ago for similar reasons, ultimatley had to sell and move but it gave me the security i needed at the time. Currently very grateful to have a good landlord, but he wants to sell soon ...

    I, and I suspect others here, are just a bit concerned that you're buying somethign that won't give you the security that you're craving
  • Alter_ego
    Alter_ego Posts: 3,842 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    NeilCr wrote: »
    From this I'd say no.

    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/housing-benefit/help-with-your-rent-housing-benefit/

    "To get Housing Benefit you must pay rent"

    Caveat

    IIRC you can get it for mooring fees even if you are not renting.

    Yes but mooring fees are rental payments for the mooring place. Paid to the owner of the space.
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