Moving house on UC

[TirednessOnToast]

I have a house (current mortgage 75k). I"d like move and pay off my mortgage. 2 Qus; 2. Does it matter what size house / number if bedrooms I buy? (no claim re property costs)
2: If funds left, (after paying moving fees and moving costs) If over 16k BUT spent on renovation of new property (heating, replacing windows, genuine work rather than fancy new kitchen etc) is this allowed if I submit receipts or would my claim be stopped?

UC are only concerned about the size expressed as number of bedrooms if you claim housing costs for rent - LHA or bedroom tax.

Schedule 10 of the UC Regulations covers situations where capital can be disregarded: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/376/schedule/10

Para 15 covers cash put aside for repairs but seems concerned with grants and such like.

Sounds like you want to have thousands of your own money in the bank and still claim UC so you can spend that on renovating?

If so, I would hope that isn't allowed but no doubt in this country it probably is.

Ask CAB, but I am pretty sure spending money on replacing windows etc is not considered Deprivation of Capital if you are on UC. Keep the receipts.
The size of your new house does not matter, as you wont be claiming the Housing Element anyway.

Keep receipts and perhaps the survey as proof that things needed renovating but replacing windows, roof, boiler etc would generally be fine but installing a swimming pool or a helipad would not.

@BromptotooTHANK YOU this is really helpful !.The wording is : 'grant, lisn or otherwise' so hopefully would include proceeds from sale. I note the 6m time limit.

@CrimpitThank you. My CAB is closed, rhe national helpline will only advise on new claims & my UC journal enquiry produced the reply" 'we cannot comment on speculative changes. Make the change and advise us' (!)

Rain in summer - it's broken windows, a missing door & installing a heating system.

@ThejoyofNC8 asked for info not judgement. Would you want to swap 21 years (so far) of being responsible 24/7 for a disabled person, whilst disabled yourself, on £85.00 a week Carers allowance topped up by UC (which you need to constantly justify). I'd be surprised if you would, but I don't judge without all the facts.

Typically on uc, funds from a house sale are dis regarded for 6 months. You absolutely can move to a cheaper property and do some renovation within the first 6 months . Sounds like a great plan to be mortgage free.

No it’s only disregarded if it goes directly on the house sale even then it’s only 6 months. 16k over will stop your uc you’ll need to reclaim once under and keep receipts obviously. Won’t be seen as deprivation, but the saving rules do apply.

I think the words 'on condition' might be a fly in the ointment as that seems to suggest the provision is to deal with grants or similar.

It's still a bit confusing. It seems rhat, if the wilork us essential renovations (it would be) is done in 6m and I keep all receipts it would not be considered deprivation of capital under UC rules. Rhe bit I'm less clear about is: if I have over 16k for part of rhe 6m whilst doing the renovations, would that stop my claim which would have to re-start (I'd trust lose my current Transitional protection).
Or are funds from a house sale disregarded for 6m anyway. If at the end of rhat time I can show rhat my left over, say 17k is reduced to 7k as I've spent 10k on heating system, windows & replacing unsafe front & back doors, does my UC just continue as before?

Sorry for typos - app playing up!

OK, this is one scenario and it might be similar, but it might help to see how it works....

My mum has a friend who was on ESA. She owned her home outright, but inherited a house. She wanted to move in and live there. The house she inherited was in a awful state and not classed as fit to live in. She sold her own house, and the second the money landed in her account, her ESA claim was closed.
She wanted to live in the house she inherited, but it needed a lot of work.
She asked the DWP about Deprivation of Capital, and was also told she needed to spend the money then ask after.
She spent a lot on renting a property elsewhere as she sold her house and could not live in her current one.
House renovations got done, she moved back in... re-applied for ESA, gave all the receipts etc