General grumble about benefits

[Keeksta1976]

We currently have my hubbys sister in law living with us after the breakdown of her marriage with a young baby in tow.

She has been told that she is unable to claim housing benefit as we are classed as immediate family and so have written to the local MP as the Government is prepared to rehouse her and pay a hell of a lot more in rent etc than what we would charge???! The local MP wrote back agreeing that this shouldnt be the case and that it didnt make sense, however the 'Under Secretary of State' wrote back to him/us basically saying tough thats the way it is! I could understand it if she was going back to parents, however we are a young couple ourselves with doubled bills such as gas/electric that I just dont get it.

Sometimes I just cant understand this government that they would rather us turf them out so that she can claim housing which of course we wouldnt do so are expected to fund for her lodgings, gas/electric as her other benefits she can claim are pittance.

Sorry my grumble is over now

Breath in and out!

:-S

[freakyleaky]

It makes no sense at all does it.
It's good to have a rant sometimes!

[make them aktiv runners]

It does seem strange, until you view it as an outsider. The government will pay housing costs for her/baby in a council house but they will not subsidise your housing costs. I guess your household bills have increased but they have certainly not doubled. Your housing costs are unchanged, you have not had to pay for a larger house to accomodate the extras. The government will pay non-housing benefits of which some relates to the likes of gas/electric/food etc, it is for you all to decide what is a fair amount for her to pay from her benefits.

[Keeksta1976]

Yeah I understand that we havent had to pay extra on accommodation, however I would certainly say the electric/gas bill would have doubled.....the washing machine is on once a day (including dryer) instead of twice a week, heating is on throughout the day now, along with electricals. Food intake, we have been paying for all food and baby stuff. Our food bills increasing by £100 a month. Phone bill whilst trying to sort out tax credits / social. Car insurance, petrol so that she can get about.

She is entitled to around £400 a month max, and this month is the first month after 3/4 months of trying to sort this out that she has managed to get anything from the govornment. She has (I know these are the governments problems) to pay for a credit card bill which she has been using instead of cash for christmas, also her ex house is on the market and she needs to find the cash for HIPS, and the negative which will be in the house so we cant obvioulsy get her to stump any money out otherwise she'll be broke for ever. Just was hoping that there would be some form of relief from them as I think its unfair to be relied upon when we just manage now with existing bills.

[loopinlouie]

Sorry! Removed because I let my personal experience upset Keepsta1976, I didnt mean to do it, but when reading back this evening I thought ouch! Apologies

[make them aktiv runners]

Loopinlouie, I read the post slightly differently to you.

Keeksta1976 indeed does not want to pay the additional costs of her household, which is a fair comment as the additions appear to be her husbands brothers ex (rather than her own sister which is also possible for the phrase "husbands sister-in-law"). She does not feel comfortable asking the guest for additional costs but instead grumbles that the State refuses to pay what are ultimately not the guests bills.

I realise that it hard not to ask for your own costs to be made up, but in reality the debts are nothing to do with the OP and she should not feel guilty. Looking at it from both the "guests" and "Loopinlouie" costs then it is obvious that the guest will have slighly lower costs, eg OP's washing is being done within larger loads whereas before some were possibly half loads (not at half cost either), standing charges for utilities are there for Loopinlouie but not the guest, food is just more of the same that could otherwise have been wasted etc.

Household costs are met from income support/tax credits/CSA not housing benefit.

[Keeksta1976]

Loopinlouie I think if you read my OP and digested it a little more you would understand what I am saying as Make them activ runners has clearly pointed out, secondly she has read this post as she is a member of this forum.

It is in fact my husbands sister and as I have pointed out we are not going to see her out on the streets and never would and no sorry the atmosphere couldnt be cut like a knife whatsoever !!

The bills have in fact increased, for instance our gas and electric is £140 extra for this qtr. money which WE are having to find as the government has only just sorted her benefits out and we are not going to take any money from her because WE would like to know that she isn't going to struggle too much when she does find her own place, her child is well looked after but also things like when she does decide to go back to work, in a couple of years buy a house there are going to be no 'black marks' on her file for 6 years. However I do understand that my last point(above) that these debts are not priorty(and nothing to do with the government) but as a family you pull together to ensure that she can keep her head afloat.

Also shopping bills have increase too, its not just food, there are toiletries, and the baby stuff which we have bought..... am not being funny but why should we have to manage OUR money better to accommodate someone elses expenses especially when we ourselves are on a tight budget!?

The main point of my OP is that I find it odd that if she was a friend then she CAN claim housing benefit living with us but as a brother/sister you cant - however this has been clarified in a post earlier to me!! And I was just having a general moan about it.... not her living with us!

[1stlifeline]

Well, just to give a bit of support, I totally see where you are coming from.
I have a son who for similar reasons has had to come and live with me and my partner. He is trying to find work at the moment but in the meantime we try to help. But there is no doubt that there is an additional drain on the household income.
Now on the other hand my sister also has a son. She and her husband are divorced. Her son has a girlfriend and he lives with her parents. They BOTH claim benefit, he says he is renting at her parents address, she says she is renting at his dads address so they cheat the system and both get rent paid. It really does make me sick and I really understand your argument. My son cant get any benefit because he is living under my roof.

[Keeksta1976]

Thank you for that..... I was a totally flustered when I read the post earlier

[loopinlouie]

I'm sorry I offended you, my own situation years ago clouded my judgement. I agree its a struggle. Friend of mine who pretended to help, we were so close I made her god mum to my kid, when we got our council house, she said i'm not going to have any more to do with you as we'll get mugged visiting a council estate. I was upset to find out years later her house was indeed council she had a working partner for over ten years and had been claiming benefits for years stating her fiance lived elsewhere in another property which he later sold and with profit, they bought their council house at a discount and made profit. Now that was none of my business it was just when I went onto benefits I was totally humiliated by socalled friends, who really should have kept out of it.
Its sad that the people like that cloud the benefits of genuine family breakups and need of support. Forgive me and
I'll think before I offend next time.

Apologies once again

[Keeksta1976]

Dont be worrying about it, this post was about venting!!

You do yourself proud looking after the kids and managing your house as a single parent - just hope that that will be the same for her once she has found her feet.

[loopinlouie]

Thanks Keepsta1976