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Original poster

HB dropping by £60 pw because son has started work ??

39 replies

dizzycatdance2 · 13/08/2018 21:46

Hi
Could this be right ? When adult son is working HB will go down by £60 PW ??

Any one got experience of this ? Any examples of the % "lost" when a resident "child" starts work.

Tia

OP posts:
IsTheRainEverComingBack · 13/08/2018 21:49

How old is your son? If he’s working I assume he’s no longer a child so therefore if earning will now be treated as contributing adult not a dependent.

throughtheeyeofaneedle · 13/08/2018 21:50

No idea, it it would seem fair. Working child can now pay the difference in rent, problem solves 👍

EggysMom · 13/08/2018 21:50

No experience, but my guess would be that the expectation is for your adult son - now earning - to make a contribution towards the rent, say, £60/week.

gamerchick · 13/08/2018 21:50

They're supposed to start contributing to the household.

throughtheeyeofaneedle · 13/08/2018 21:50

Sorry *but it would seem fair

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 13/08/2018 21:51

Of course it’s fair Confused

Ask your son to pay his way.

minsmum · 13/08/2018 21:51

Yes HB will reduce by a prescribed amount , this is based on the amount that they are earning.

allforequality · 13/08/2018 21:52

Makes perfect sense presuming he is living there - that's what wages are for (and benefits are to help people in situations where they can't work for whatever reason). What's the issue?

Chalady · 13/08/2018 21:52

They must be looking at the whole household income & outgoings?

dementedpixie · 13/08/2018 21:53

touch.nihe.gov.uk/index/benefits/housingbenefit/housing_benefit_advice/non-dependants.htm they will be expected to contribute if they are over 18 and working

ml3jp · 13/08/2018 21:54

You can check your deduction is correct here. It’ll depend on your son’s weekly income x

HB dropping by £60 pw because son has started work ??
shakeyourcaboose · 13/08/2018 21:55

The £60 is not 'lost' your household income now means that you are no longer entitled to it as benefit income. Have you been on 'entitled to' website to check using their calculator?

Onceuponatime21 · 13/08/2018 22:01

My understanding is that this applies also if your child becomes an apprentice. Because that is considered employment, and is not approved training / education.

So if your child is about to become an apprentice, and you are in receipt of child benefit, or child tax credits, or HB etc, you should check with DWP what impact it will have on your benefits.

KanielOutis · 13/08/2018 22:04

When children become adults, the income is fair game with regard to benefit calculations. Otherwise you could have a child earning thousands and the parent claiming means tested benefit.

Whisky2014 · 13/08/2018 22:06

What a weird mentality. Your son is now earning so he should pay his way...

wigglybeezer · 13/08/2018 22:07

I think I need to charge DS1 more after looking at that guide!

Ohwtfhappened · 13/08/2018 22:11

It's the benefit trap of the young, over 18, subject to pay full contribution, under 25 not entitled to full adult rights/earnings
Another way to screw the lower earners.

Original poster
dizzycatdance2 · 13/08/2018 22:15

Thanks for all the replies, I know ds will need to pay its just getting used to the loss of cb , tax credits etc and then the HB reduction as well.
But he IS an adult even though he's still my ",child" iykwim ,

It just seemed like a lot, though a lot less than him renting his v own place !!!

OP posts:
Original poster
dizzycatdance2 · 13/08/2018 22:16

Thanks for all the replies, I know ds will need to pay its just getting used to the loss of cb , tax credits etc and then the HB reduction as well.
But he IS an adult even though he's still my ",child" iykwim ,

It just seemed like a lot, though a lot less than him renting his v own place !!!

OP posts:
Smellbellina · 13/08/2018 22:19

I don’t think the drop necessarily equates to the actual earnings as opposed to the idealised earnings ifyswim, which is where it becomes tricky

Ohwtfhappened · 13/08/2018 22:24

Exactly smel, is the trap that young people of lower earners fall into, they cannot save for their future as they are expected to pay the contribution of a 25+ year old on an 18 year olds earnings and conditions

Ohwtfhappened · 13/08/2018 22:28

The oldest child of a single parent family is expected to contribute to the families income as an equal partner to the parent in the eyes of the benefits system, despite they are not entitled to a living wage as the are not 25!
It is a total disparity that you are adult at 18 for responsibilities but not adult until 25 for full support

lazyhazysummer · 13/08/2018 22:37

This happened with my daughter. It isn't fair. Even the woman at the housing benefit office said it wasn't fair. Not long ago this wouldn't have happened, but since the rules changed the working child is now treated as if he's your partner with his wages fully accountable. No longer are your kids expected to just pay board, they're expected to pay a big chunk towards the rent too. Another example of the tories keeping you down. It isn't our fault rent is out of proportion to the average wage.

MistressDeeCee · 13/08/2018 22:43

Yes it's right. When DD1 started working, same happened to me.

the trap that young people of lower earners fall into, they cannot save for their future as they are expected to pay the contribution of a 25+ year old on an 18 year olds earnings and conditions

Exactly.

I'm not sure so many people have an understanding of this. It's not always solely about "he should pay his way". That's obvious isn't it, but we don't fully know all circumstances so it can cause hardship (eg I was working minimal hours at that time as Id had an accident), or at the very least your child living at home long beyond an age when lots of us were able to move out and on from our parents' home.

DD1 at 18 was not earning Megabucks, obviously. It's rare that 18 year olds do.

You'll have to really rethink your finances as you know, OP. HB, CHB & I guess Council Tax discount lost at 1 swoop is a heavy impact. Will you lose Tax Credits too? I didnt.

In my case I hadn't realised they'd cut HB so much. I didn't want DD1 supporting this household as if she were my life partner. So once I'd got (not completely tho) better I increased the working hours I'd been doing before

UterusUterusGhali · 13/08/2018 22:53

the trap that young people of lower earners fall into, they cannot save for their future as they are expected to pay the contribution of a 25+ year old on an 18 year olds earnings and conditions

Horrible, isn't it?

Apparently the working class are feckless. My 16yo daughter and 18yo neighbor's daughter have just walked home from work together at 22:30 to their social housing. Intelligent, hard working girls planning on going to university. I so hope they can crawl out of the poverty trap. :(

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