Will topping up my mum's rent affect her housing benefit?

[TenderChicken]

Am really struggling to find the answer to this question via Google!

My mum is getting older, and so has decided to move near to us. She will continue to rent, which is paid for by housing benefit and her small pension. I'm in a position to give her £200 a month to help her rent a slightly nicer place but not sure what the ramifications of me doing this might be? Would it jeopardise her housing benefit?

Thanks for any advice x

Possibly as it would be classed as income.

Surely it depends on how much HB she is entitled to?

If she isnallowed 600 a month and finds an 800 property and is expected to make up the shortfall I don't see nay reason why tou couldn't cover it

If OP just goes to the post office each month and pays the rent cash how would they know?
It could just be her mums money

If it's a gift then it won't affect her benefits.

Why don’t you give your mum £200 towards food per month instead. Then she can spend the £200 she would have spent on food on the rent. Possibly she may get more housing benefit if her debt is higher.

Well, if DWP asks if she's getting any other money she will have to tell them won't she and I can't see anyone accepting rent payments that are part cash, part housing benefit, and part the OPs mums money. Sounds too much like hard work.

Could you pay for her food shopping instead and maybe water bill or something like this, so you are giving her more disposable income for her rent.

Gifts don't affect benefits, but your DM may have a problem with affordability checks, unless you're prepared to act as guarantor perhaps?

Give it her in cash for shopping/clothes etc

Get her to do online food shop from a big supermarket and you pay it each week

I think it could get tricky. Would £200 in say Tesco vouchers be better for her? Or as PP said, just pay for her online shopping?

You can receive 3k a year gift off a family member... Or it's classed as income..

Gifts shouldn’t affect it, but I’d do something else so as not to confuse matters personally. Tesco vouchers or similar.

I'm a housing benefit officer. Regular gifts from family members/friends are not considered and are actually quite common.

It doesn't matter if you say its for rent / food or whatever it doesn't count as income.

Brilliant, thanks all, sounds like it'll be fine x