Bedroom tax and University

[vickibee]

My stepson has gone off to Uni :) he has always lived with his Mum who has been on income based benefits. She has moved to a one bed studio style flat so she doesn't have to pay bedroom tax so in effect my stepson has no home base and will be sofa surfing when he comes home. His mum says she has had a big reduction in benefits and simply can't afford to stay in two bed. She has also lost our child maintenance payments. Of course there is always a room at our house but we live one hour away and he doesn't know anybody. What a mess our system is in. He is actively seeking a p t job to support himself through the coming months - we are really worried about him and are still helping him financially whew we can

Students are still classed as resident for the purposes of the bedroom tax however with the son starting uni tax credits and child benefit will have ended along with the maintenance. Running a house is not just about the rent and it may simply be that all she can now afford to run is the bedsit. A mother in that position may be completely unable to afford to keep a roof over the adult childs head even if she wanted to that doesn't make her a bad person.

Our home is always open to him and he can stay here whenever he likes. We are paying him an allowance every month to make sure he has enough for food etc but we don't earn a great deal ourselves. As he has always lived with his mother I thought that he would at least have had a bedroom to return to. We (me and dad) have always supported him and take offence at suggestions that we don't

Then if push comes to shove he can move in with you for the sporadic week or two and take annual leave from his bar job in his uni town. I live in a uni town, seasonal, term time bar jobs are flexible.

His mother has done nothing wrong, she really hasn't on paper. She's living within her means for a long term plan.

There must be emotion attached to this situation and maybe some I'll feeling between parties, who knows but on paper the situation is reasonable. What you want to do in life I.e keep a spare room for your son is vastly differey from what you need to do I.e downsizing and living with lower costs on limited income.

Yes she will have lost child tax credit, child benefit and of course the maintenance the OP mentions. If she is in social housing then one-beds are in short supply. She may have felt she needs to take the one she has been offered rather than hope she is offered another one exactly when she wants it in three years' time.

Our home is always open to him and he can stay here whenever he likes.

You make him sound like a visitor - at his own father's house.

Maybe the years of providing an actual home for your husband's son has meant that your DSS mother has been financially stretched? You say you've 'always supported' your DSS - did that mean paying a fair half of what raising a child costs in terms of housing space etc? It doesn't sound like it from what you've said here. So it's entirely reasonable that now he's away most of the time, it's your husband's turn to parent his child.

Do you have your own DC who are the step-brothers/step-sisters of your stepson OP?
If so then I would encourage him to be generous with his son at uni now, to ensure he is OK - because you never know whether you might be reduced to the same circumstances as your stepson's mum yourself in 10years, and you will want him to be generous then to your own kids.

but she will have lost

CTC
HB
CB
Maintenance

thats alot to lose overnight even if she didnt get hit by BT
im guessing a 2bed flat/house will cost alot more to look after,heating,insurance etc than a studio

maybe she is ill and is finding a bigger place difficult to maintane eg garden/general cleaning and the studio is far less for her to look after

her son can still sleep their if he wishes,he just dosent have his own room but considering he dosent live there full time i dont think he can expect to

having a "spare room" is a luxury many just cant afford

You're being really unfair to her saying that she has behaved badly!
How patronising.

Sounds like she's assessed her finances, and whilst she may be wrong about bedroom tax, and detailed by posters above she'll have lost a lot financially. Including maintenance, as you say.

If you think it's so important that she maintains a room at home for him, why has his father stopped paying the maintenance ?

He can take full year accommodation at uni (he may have to if he does cheap private rental in second year) and there's nothing to stop him sleeping on the sofa at home.

You say money is right for you too - perhaps you should therefore be more understanding?

When the children grow and child related income stops it has a huge impact. It's something we are planning for already and our children are primary age. Goon on her living within her means and downsizing to affordable accommodation.

That's the problem with social security reliance, sadly. When the tap is turned off, massive adjustments need to be made. She had no choice. It's pitiful and I hope things improve for her.

Is there anyone he can stay with in this home town during the hols in return for rent (paid by Christmas/summer jobs)?