Council house advice MIL can’t afford rent.

[velvetcandy]

Does anyone know anything about the old style council house system?
My MIL is in a three bedroom house with the old style agreement back in the 80s she says it’s a house for life unlike the contract you would get today? She’s also on her own, her partner died last year. She’s complaining she can’t afford the £700 rent a month but doesn’t want to downsize does anyone know if they reduce rent? Just to clarify I think she should move to a flat but it’s not my business, what is my business is her asking us for money so I need to get the right information on this, cheers x

No they 100% won’t reduce the rent, it doesn’t work like that unfortunately. She may be eligible for housing benefit but that will be capped and she may be subject to the bedroom tax and the housing allowance for a single person so they won’t pay her full rent.

Okay thanks I can’t find definitive info when I Google it. I think she thinks they will reduce her rent but she’s not sure.

Could she speak to CAB to make sure shes claiming for all her available benefits? Including any form if rent reduction or single person council tax?

She’ll have an assured tenancy and unfortunately rents aren’t calculated on the occupancy, she’ll be penalised by the bedroom tax. Depending on your council/housing association, those down sizing could receive a higher priority banding if they decide to move.

Why wouldn't she move to a 1-2 bed?

If she's eligible she can get housing benefit, which will effectively be a reduction in rent but they won't reduce the rent.

She could put in for an exchange to a more suitable property for her needs.

Yeah I forgot about bedroom tax.

Let her try OP. It doesn't sound as if she'll take any notice anyway.

Depending on her age the extra room might not apply. She might be entitled to some housing benefit but now that is all lumped in with universal credits.
The best thing would be to try to swap to somewhere smaller. I know in my area swapping a 3 bed would be a piece of cake.

I thought older people were exempt from bedroom tax?

She’s refusing to think about moving 🙄

Why would they reduce the rent?
She needs to downsize. She can keep the same tenancy agreement but take a smaller cheaper property. They may pay her an incentive to do so.

The only real help she may get is if she is eligible for universal credit...but they won't cover her full rent as she will be penalised for having two more bedrooms than she needs

Is your MIL retired? £700 for a council house? Are you based in London?

I’m not 100% on this. But I would of thought because council housing is dire every where that was the whole point of the rule of bedroom tax and people not having more bedrooms than they actually need.

I know if you have more rooms than you need but you pay your full rent yourself it doesn’t matter either way.

Is the cleaning not too much for her? I will be glad to down size personally!

Might she consider downsizing if her council is one that contributes to moving costs (and decoration, etc in some cases)? It may be worth finding out if her council does this for people willing to downsize.

She only has the luxury of refusing to entertain it as long as you pay towards her rent.
Maybe you should refuse

They almost certainly won't reduce her rent (she could apply under hardship criteria for top up but as the property is bigger than she needs it's unlikely), but many councils offer incentives to tenants who give up no longer needed family properties and move to smaller properties (sometimes getting first pick of new developments or more sought after properties). She needs to talk to the council.

If she moved to a smaller social housing property she'd have the same rights as she does now. The only time that they'd evict her was if she was anti social, and even then it takes an awful lot to be evicted.

Okay thanks for that she’s 61 so not sure if that’s bedroom tax exempt? I obviously think she should let a family have the house but apparently it’s nothing to do with me but asking us for money is fine

Smaller doesn't necessarily mean cheaper, we are downsizing next month, the rent on the 2 bed bungalow we are moving to is more than our 3 bed house.

@CodenameVillanelle

Why would they reduce the rent? She needs to downsize. She can keep the same tenancy agreement but take a smaller cheaper property. They may pay her an incentive to do so.

I don’t think she will get to keep her same tenancy agreement won’t she have to sign a complete new one? Different housing associations/newer regulations.

If she cannot afford the rent regardless of how long she has been there she can still be evicted for non payment of rent.

Depending on her income she might be able to claim some additional benefits. She can always run her details through entitledto.com

As a single person unless one of the other rooms is regularly used for her cater, she wouldn’t get anything for the spare rooms.

As a single adult she can get CT discount.

Is she working or retired?

If she can’t afford the rent she needs to downsize to something she can afford, don’t subsidise it that’s crazy and unsustainable & no, they won’t reduce the rent, it’s currently her choice to live in accomodation too large for her, I’m sure the council will have lots of people who want a three bed she could swap with

She works part time and doesn’t want to increase her hours her wage covers her rent just about and nothing else this is so ridiculous I want to sort it out because it’s becoming difficult and straining relationships