Housing benefit advice please please

[Housinghelp]

Hello,

 

I am stuck in a bit or a rut thanks to me mother and step father . Basically she is on benefits because of her mental health. I work and therefore pay the standard room rent . I have been told that I cant leave intill the contract is up ( another year ) because they will not be able to make up my rent. The thing is i neeeeeed to leave for many personal reasons I dont know if i can last another year . If I leave i have to coninue paying thier rent ( which I cant). What would happen if I just left could they become homeless or would the council make up the rest . Please any advice would be great .

 

Thank you thank you thank you

[soleman]

Hi

Do you mind if I ask a couple of questions just to gather the facts. . . .

 

Is your mother or step father the lead claimant for the Housing Benefit claim? Are you the non-dependant on their claim? Or is the rent a fifty fifty split, do they claim for their half and you pay your half?

[Housinghelp]

My step father is the lead claiment . I am not on the claim anywhere i just pay a basic rate for the room.

Heather

[tenants Super]

hi there...

 

Newbie here....you mention contract ....what contract? Is this rented accomodation?

Why are you saying to that you are in a rut because of parents?

[tenants Super]

You need to contact the local job centre or maybe go to the citizen advice centre to ask for more help. They will inform housing benefit of the situation and council tax.

 

You will not have to be forced to pay anything further and seek somewhere else to live if it is becoming too much.

 

You are not subjected to stay with your parents whatever the situation is...?

[Aviva]

If they are renting privately and get LHA it is unlikely that the Council will make up the rest of the rent if you move out. This is because they base the payment on the number of bedrooms needed. So the Council will say that they only need a one bedroom property and will only pay them LHA in relation to the LHA amount set for a one bed. If the property they rent costs more than that (likely if it is a larger property) then they would have to make up the rest themselves.

 

It would be best to get some more advice before you decide what to do as if you move out and they can not afford to pay they may end up being evicted. If they end up owing 2 months rent (if it is private) the landlord will be able to take them to Court.

 

However, they may be able to get out of their contract early if they talk to the landlord and explain that you are going to move out and they can't afford the rent. They will then be able to start looking for a place than can afford by themselves.

 

You could speak to the CAB or the Council's HB dept or Welfare Rights team if they have one. However, if they have not declared that you live there then going to the Council may not be a good idea.

[soleman]

I think your step father should contact their Housing Benefits office for some advice. If you move out and there is a short fall in their HB, and they cant get out of their tenancy, they may be able to get some help from the council's Discretionary Housing Payments fund just until their tenancy ends. But this is only a possiblity.

 

Your step father should also make the council aware that you are living with them as you should be included on their claim as a non-dependant. Their current benefit entitlement is likely to be incorrect.