Universal Credit

[confusedandwingingit]

Myself and my husband have just found out that he is on the deeds to his mothers house, we currently receive Universal Credit - they have asked for proof my husband doesn't own it, but on paper (legally) he apparently does. He has absolutely no financial benefit from being on the property and does not benefit from it at all, doesn't pay towards it etc.

Can any one tell me if we are no going to lose out on Universal Credit? We simply cannot afford to live without it. I'm so so so worried.

If anyone has been in similar situations then please help :(

How had he ended up on the deeds to his mothers house without knowing about it?

How did they discover he was on them?

A lot depends on the value of the house vs any outstanding mortgage and/or whether Mum is over 60 and/or incapacitated.

You absolutely cannot be on deeds without knowing about it. Are you testing out what you plan on telling them..?

Either you and your husband are lying or your husband is lying to you or your MIL has committed fraud. None of those will end well in this situation

You are going to have to move in to your husbands house!

How did he find this out?

Was this done to make sure MIL didn’t have to pay care fees?

Why?

How is he on the feeds without knowing? This often happens to avoid inheritance tax, but yes then it means you aren’t eligible for UC as he has a share in a property. If there is lots of equity you won’t be entitled to UC, but it also means you may have to pay back what you have got from UC already.

If your MIL genuinely wants to hand her property to her DC, she needs to pay them rent too.
People need to think about all the consequences before attempting to avoid IHT and care home fees.
He will also have to pay CGT when he sells the property.

I am on my Mums house deeds.

I also get UC.

Do look this up... but a house is disregarded if the current home owner ie my mum... is Over a certain age

Quick search

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6894a1a7a6eb81a3f9b2e227/adm-chaper-h2-capital-disregards.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjm7dbthvyPAxXDQkEAHbW_PYsQFnoECFoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1ZqWq19j8eZAljc9gf2ouZ

H2048

If your Mother has LCW or has reached State Pension Age, it's disregarded.

All that text is about a property you have inherited, not about a property you own.

Too quick!

A quick Google search will answer this.

You can’t be on the deeds to a house and not know.

Agree with others- you can’t accidentally and without knowledge just “end up” on the deeds, he knew he was on there.

Depending on equity etc not only do you stand to lose ongoing UC but you will also have to repay what you already falsely claimed.

See this is what happens when people think they are being clever and are going to avoid paying care home fees.

I know someone whose name was on his parents deeds purely to avoid care home fees and he required legal aid. Because he didn't really "own" the house - he said he wasn't a property owner and this was considered to be "aggravating circumstances" when it came to sentencing.

It never ends well in my experience.

Another not really understanding how your dh wouldn't have known about this, but either way, I would think it would only be the housing element that might be affected. Have you not tried one of the benefits calculators? Or CAB?

On the plus side, if you were to get a divorce, you'd also be entitled to half of your DH and his DMs property.

Another thing people don't think about when trying to avoid care home fees.

Yes. This unfortunately nearly happened to me when l got divorced although XH didn't make a claim on it in the end

It really doesn't. It is a genuine question as I don't think the answer depends on those factors.

Not sure how he's a part owner w/out knowing but if Mum's over State Pension age there's a get out.

Otherwise advice needed regarding the other capital disregards.

Yes, your parents could put you on the deeds of their house without your knowledge—but only under certain conditions.

🏠 How It Could Happen

• No signature required: In the UK, if your parents own the property outright and choose to transfer part or all of it to you, they can do so without needing your signature. The Land Registry doesn’t require the new owner to sign anything—just the person transferring the ownership.
• Gift or estate planning: They might add you to the deeds as part of inheritance planning, to avoid probate or reduce inheritance tax.
• No automatic notification: HM Land Registry doesn’t automatically notify people when they’re added to a title. So unless your parents tell you, or you check the register, you might not know.

⚠️ What This Means for You

• Legal ownership: If you’re on the deeds, you’re legally a co-owner. That could affect your tax situation, benefits, or liability.
• Mortgage implications: If there’s a mortgage, the lender would need to approve any change in ownership. You’d likely be involved in that process.
• Capital gains tax: If the property is not your main residence, you could be liable for capital gains tax when it’s sold.

🔍 How to Check

You can find out by searching the property on the HM Land Registry. It costs £3 to download the Title Register, which lists all legal owners.

Would you like help interpreting a title register or understanding what being on the deeds could mean for your financial situation?