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Original poster

Claiming housing benifit on UC

36 replies

Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 20:47

So I have no experience of claiming housing benifit as I've never done it so I'm sorry if this sounds a ridiculous question.
I claim UC. I work PT and I live at my parents house.
I pay them monthly "rent" as we have a fe aroma to ourselves. I was originally told that as it's not formal I cannot claim this under housing benifit. What do I need to do to make this formal? Would my parents have to create a contract with me? Or is this just not possible?
I just feel like I could be entitled to some support but don't have the correct paperwork!

OP posts:
Original poster
Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 20:47

*few rooms to ourselves.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/08/2022 20:48

There isn't separate housing benefit. Dont know if you can have a housing element if staying with family though

FHmama · 26/08/2022 20:51

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housingadvice/benefits/claiminggbenefitsiffyourenttfromfamily

"If you live in the same home, you cannot get housing related benefits to pay rent to your partner or any of the following close family members:
parents - including step parents
children - including stepchildren
brothers and sisters - including half siblings but not step siblings
partners of any of these close relatives"

I don't think you'd be entitled to any housing benefit based on the fact that you live with them.

Skyeheather · 26/08/2022 20:51

You can't claim housing benefit if you live with your parents.

Original poster
Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 20:51

I thought that you could claim housing costs via UC?
If I had a tenancy contract made would that count? It's just I do pay monthly anyway so it is like rent but obviously it's not something I currently get support with unlike if I was renting from someone else!

OP posts:
Original poster
Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 20:52

Ahh fair enough!
Thanks all!

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 26/08/2022 20:53

Looks like you can't claim the housing costs part of universal credit

Claiming housing benifit on UC
Babyroobs · 26/08/2022 21:37

You cannot claim UC renting a few rooms from your parents. If you have kids on your claim then you will get a higher work allowance because you can't claim rent element.

Babyroobs · 26/08/2022 21:40

Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 20:51

I thought that you could claim housing costs via UC?
If I had a tenancy contract made would that count? It's just I do pay monthly anyway so it is like rent but obviously it's not something I currently get support with unlike if I was renting from someone else!

You are just paying board to your parents, it's not the same as renting from others. Even if you rented a seperate property from your parents , you would need a proper tenancy agreement, they would need to prove that it wasn't a contrived tenancy etc. Even renting a separate property from parents isn't straightforward. Would they be renting a few room to a stranger ?

Drivebye · 26/08/2022 21:41

How ridiculous. So you could live in a scummy hmo and they'd pay the housing element but not if it's your parents. Is this law? Had anyone challenged it?

Additionally interesting that I know someone who owns the house their father lives in and the rent is paid by the council. All above board and agreed evidently.

Original poster
Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 22:08

Drivebye · 26/08/2022 21:41

How ridiculous. So you could live in a scummy hmo and they'd pay the housing element but not if it's your parents. Is this law? Had anyone challenged it?

Additionally interesting that I know someone who owns the house their father lives in and the rent is paid by the council. All above board and agreed evidently.

I know exactly.
I fee with the rise in bills etc I should/want to be paying my parents more but I just can't finically manage it so I was hoping I could get some support but seemingly not.
But I could go in a rental and end up claiming more via housing benifits to pay for rent and then end up in more debt?! Crazy isn't it.

OP posts:
CiderJolly · 26/08/2022 22:13

Realistically, if people were allowed to charge adult offspring rent and have the state pay it, thereby paying their mortgage, then how many people do you think would claim? Making it unsustainable.

Get a full time job instead of part time; that’s the obvious solution to your financial shortfall.

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 26/08/2022 22:16

Drivebye · 26/08/2022 21:41

How ridiculous. So you could live in a scummy hmo and they'd pay the housing element but not if it's your parents. Is this law? Had anyone challenged it?

Additionally interesting that I know someone who owns the house their father lives in and the rent is paid by the council. All above board and agreed evidently.

You can get housing support in certain circumstances but not in a shared house with close relatives or a contrived tenancy ie where the property was bought specifically for that person to live in.

Original poster
Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 22:18

CiderJolly · 26/08/2022 22:13

Realistically, if people were allowed to charge adult offspring rent and have the state pay it, thereby paying their mortgage, then how many people do you think would claim? Making it unsustainable.

Get a full time job instead of part time; that’s the obvious solution to your financial shortfall.

My parents don't have a mortgage so that's not the point at all.
Also, you don't need to tell me to get a different job. You know nothing about me or my childcare or my life other or whether that's possible and if not why not... you no nothing other then the question I asked here which has already been answered. What I didn't ask was about my job or my parents mortgage but hey some people just like to give an opinion!

OP posts:
CiderJolly · 26/08/2022 22:23

You asked the question. I answered explaining the policy behind why you can’t do what you want to do.

Fair enough you can’t work more hours, but usually when people need more money that’s the obvious solution. At least there is no mortgage so all of your outgoings are less.

Babyroobs · 26/08/2022 22:28

Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 22:18

My parents don't have a mortgage so that's not the point at all.
Also, you don't need to tell me to get a different job. You know nothing about me or my childcare or my life other or whether that's possible and if not why not... you no nothing other then the question I asked here which has already been answered. What I didn't ask was about my job or my parents mortgage but hey some people just like to give an opinion!

Show quote history

If they don't even have a mortgage why would they even need to charge you anything ? Just making money from public funds.

Original poster
Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 22:45

@Babyroobs they aren't making any money from any public funds because I don't claim anything for what I give them or have given them on the last.
But honestly I'm not going to post their finical status on this thread as it's got nothing to do with anyone or the question I asked and it's really invasive to ask.

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 26/08/2022 23:05

Cupofteaonesugar · 26/08/2022 22:45

@Babyroobs they aren't making any money from any public funds because I don't claim anything for what I give them or have given them on the last.
But honestly I'm not going to post their finical status on this thread as it's got nothing to do with anyone or the question I asked and it's really invasive to ask.

But the whole point of your post is asking how you can ?

Runaround50 · 27/08/2022 08:19

The best thing to do, would be to find an okay rental and then claim the housing element of UC? Then you could probably claim other benefits too.

Isaidnoalready · 27/08/2022 08:26

The only way you could claim housing on a property owned by your parents is if they have a history of renting it out to strangers even then it goes to the decision maker and they could say no

Drivebye · 27/08/2022 08:35

@CiderJolly I understand that it would be unsustainable as everyone would claim however there are many people claiming who just move out of their parents house and then claim. As regards paying the mortgage off - what do you think landlords have been doing for years!!

Perhaps the OPs parent should rent the room to someone for a while and then rent it to her so she can claim? Councils are under terrible pressure with housing and this would go some way to solving this problem. It will also show just how bad the housing crisis really is.

Personally I would have no qualms about doing this.. As I've said I know someone is very well off who gets the rent paid from the council on a house they bought from a family member and promptly 'rented' it back to them.

CiderJolly · 27/08/2022 09:10

@Drivebye
I would imagine the majority of rental agreements are commercial in nature/income generating. Yes the landlord will reap the benefit of increased equity- whether that’s paid via someone’s earned income or benefit.
This isn’t the same as the contrived tenancy situation that we are discussing on this thread.

Contrived tenancy is fraudulent. Can you imagine if the government allowed this? There has to be limits to entitlement- obviously.

It’s not my policy but I can see the logic behind it- and of course I can see that landlord’s mortgages are indirectly being paid via benefits- not sure of the figures. I know there was a period where many landlords advertised properties stating ‘no dss’ so I don’t think they aim to take from the benefit system- it’s just a consequence of current economics.

CiderJolly · 27/08/2022 09:14

@Drivebye oh and those people you know- if that’s found to be a contrived tenancy and they get prosecuted and found guilty- then the DWP can take all that money back plus the equity in the house under Proceeds of Crime. Really easy to prove too. If they’re happy with that risk then so be it.

Drivebye · 27/08/2022 09:42

Don't get me wrong I get the argument however I don't believe a lot of these are commercial. Additionally given the looming recession we could see so many in trouble the government may have to start providing housing benefit in these circumstances. Iirc it was only about 4 years ago that they stopped people claiming for their mortgages through benefits if they lost their job.

These people I know have had it all ok'd by the council. I was very surprised. If you had previously rented a room I can't see how they could prove contrived tenancy.

CiderJolly · 27/08/2022 09:49

@Drivebye yeah if related there are certain circumstances where you can but it’s usually when the relative is a professional landlord and they treat the related tenant the same as any other tenant. That makes it a genuine tenancy doesn’t it? If the selling of the house and then renting out was done purely for this purpose then it is dodgy unless the council were made aware of the full circumstances.

You can still get Support for Mortgage interest payments but they are now effectively a loan and you have to have had zero earned income for 9 consecutive months.