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Original poster

housing benefit while living with parents

24 replies

andiera · 06/04/2011 10:43

I currently am a single mother in full time education and yes i am on benefits (please dont judge me i work really hard during the week so i can give a better life 4 my son once im qualified). I am currently travelling 15 miles a day 2 get 2 college and paying out child care so as u can imagine money is incredibly tight and i have 2 pay rent 2 my mum of 35 pound a week. i have researched to see weather or not i can i can claim housing benefit while living here if my mum gives me a tenancy agreement and a rent book and states that even if i wasnt living here she would be renting the rooms out which she would be doing anyway. would apreciate if someone could help me on this matter thank you x

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 06/04/2011 10:45

which benefits are you on

Original poster
andiera · 06/04/2011 10:51

income support and child tax credits x

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 06/04/2011 10:54

can you really claim income support and study full time? i wasnt aware you could do that!!

has your mum let out the rooms to lodgers previously?

orangehead · 06/04/2011 11:05

I lived my mum and dad for a few months after dh left. I was told no regarding housing benefit but that was nearly 8 years ago

Original poster
andiera · 06/04/2011 11:07

yeah u can claim as long as its not uni. yeah shes let them out before x

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 06/04/2011 11:09

then they will have a record somewhere of previous lets or she can prove it,so ring them and ask if a relation changes the rules for her

BluddyMoFo · 06/04/2011 11:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GypsyMoth · 06/04/2011 11:12

the rent hyou pay to your mum.....does it include food?

blinks · 06/04/2011 11:13

you toootally can't.

GypsyMoth · 06/04/2011 11:14

lol,its a bit cheeky isnt it......

Theyremybiscuits · 06/04/2011 11:15

I claim housing benefit and rent my Dads house for myself and the kids.

He does not live with us though.

Go ask a benefits advisor at the Jobcentre plus.

AtAmber · 06/04/2011 11:16

Hi. I've just registered so I can answer your question. Housing benefit regulations state you cannot get Housing Benefit if you live with your landlord who is a close relative. So you won't be able to. It's not really considered that you are paying rent, more like keep. If you were living in a separate property owned by your parents then you would probably be able to claim it. Hope this helps.

GypsyMoth · 06/04/2011 11:46

presumably you'd want council tax paid too??

HoneyBare · 06/04/2011 21:51

I think this depends if your mom claims housing benefit.
Atm i am claiming full housing/council tax benefit.My DD is 20y and still lives with me.DD is doing a full time uni course so is entitled to housing benefit.If she was working and earning £120 aweek she would have to pay £10 aweek rent/council tax.More she earns the more she would have to pay.

AtAmber · 06/04/2011 21:59

Honey, I think you are talking about a non dependent deduction in respect of your dd. Because she is a student no deduction is taken from your HB. You cannot claim HB if your landlords are your parents and you live with them.

HoneyBare · 07/04/2011 12:05

AtAmber yes thats what i mean.
But wouldn't the OP be a non dependent too?Confused

AtAmber · 07/04/2011 13:53

Hi Honey. The OP wouldn't be a non dependant. She would be the person making the claim. If she was living somewhere else she could claim but she cannot claim for renting from her parents if she lives with them. Her parents' circumstances don't matter, the claim would just be refused.

HoneyBare · 07/04/2011 14:38

I understand what you are saying but why is it different for my DD?She is living with me and is classed as a non dependant.Its me that is making the housing benefit claim.
So if OP is living with her parents why isn't she classed as a non dependant too?
Sorry i'm not having a go at you,just trying to understand.Smile

AtAmber · 07/04/2011 16:58

Hi Honey. The OP's parents are not making a claim for HB like you are. You are the tenant of your property and you pay your rent to your landlord. So you have a rental liability and your daughter is included in your claim as part of your household. Although the OP hasn't said, I would think that her parents own their home (she did say that they have had other tenants there before). If the OP got Housing Benefit she would then pay that to her parents - so they would gain financially from having their dd live with them. So this is why she can't claim. You have a rental liability, she doesn't because she lives with her mum and dad. I know it's quite complicated. Am trying to explain it, hope this makes sense!

expatinscotland · 07/04/2011 17:01

No, you can't.

nickschick · 07/04/2011 17:02

I didnt think you were allowed to claim housing benefit to pay rent on a properlty owned by a relative even if you live in that property alone?.

AtAmber · 07/04/2011 17:06

Nick, you can claim if you live in a separate property. The Housing Benefit dept would need to be sure that it's a commercial tenancy before they would pay. Plenty of people do it though.

nickschick · 07/04/2011 17:09

My friend does Smile but she says its not allowed?- surely its like income support/housing benefit buying your parents a house?.

AtAmber · 07/04/2011 17:13

I know what you mean. It is allowed though as long as you don't live with them.

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