Leaving Full Time Education - Fathers Benefits

[JBW1366]

Hi everyone:

Re - previous question with the same name (see my profile)

My daughter went to the council and enquiried about about paying rent / her father losing benefits and they said to her - she hasn't got to pay anything!!!

How can that be right? She is working full time is nearly 19, he has never worked on benefits they are in a privately rented 3 bedroom house, there are only two of them living in it, we want her here.

Do you think she hasn't got to pay anything this financial year? And maybe from April 2017 it will be the calculated?

How can that be fair she doesn't have to pay anything?

Please see previous question and answers as reference.

Thanking you all in advance for help

[Jackdaw33]

I find Eddie's post @ 13:51 rather odd. When I was made redundant at the age of 60 I had an employment pension. I got 60% of my rent in housing benefit and a reduction in council tax. As soon as I hit 65 and got the state pension all my benefits ceased and I now pay the full whack for everything. In addition my income tax increased by £100 per month. The state pension just about covers my rent and council tax so I am really no better off.

[EDDIE51]

ummmm the 'bedroom tax' applies to both social and private renting.
OK I was wrong about the claim as a couple, there will be a £33 deduction from the housing benefit if the daughter earns over £133 a week. BUT that will be offset by the change from 25% to 14% 'bedroom tax; deduction.

[hc4361]

Eddie, bedroom tax does not apply to private renting, only council tenants and housing association tenants.

[hc4361]

"Bedroom tax doesn't apply to you if you live in:

private housing (housing benefit is worked out using different rules)"

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/changes_to_housing_benefit/bedroom_tax

[Mamyalynne]

Correct - HB for Private tenants is worked out using the LHA for the property with the number of bedrooms you qualify for.


LHA _ Local housing allowance.

[EDDIE51]

jackdaw you have been badly advised, at 60 you could have claimed Pension Credit. If you were entitled to even £1 a week pension credit you would automatically get 100% housing and council tax credit.
Pension credit is the most under claimed benefit with 1 in 3 people who are entitled to it not claiming. A male qualifies for pension credit on the same date a female born on the same day would get state pension.
I have told 5 people I used to work with about Pension credit none of them were claiming and all 5 found they were entitled to claim it.
I got mine at age 60 and 8 months.

[EDDIE51]

^^ Yes for private tenants housing benefit is worked out from the LHA, but the 25% deduction for 2 spare bed rooms and 14% deduction for 1 room still applies.
LHA £200 a week, deduction for 2 spare rooms £50 a week.Deduction for 1 spare room £28 a week.

[Buenchico]

^^^ The qualifying age for Pension Credit is gradually rising in line with the State Pension Age for women. I qualified for Pension Credit 7 weeks ago, at the age of 63 years 2 months.

The Council Tax discount available to people on low incomes is now determined by individual councils (rather than on a nationally-set scale), with wide differences in how much people are left to pay.

[hc4361]

JBW, even if your daughter's father does have to pay rent and asks her to pay the difference there is no guarantee that your daughter will want to live with you.

All you can do is make her feel loved and welcome so that she knows she can move in if and when she wants to.

She is of an age now where she could move in with her boyfriend or friend.

[Jackdaw33]

I did check on-line when I was 60 but was told that I was not entitled to anything. This was before the age rules changed. Perhaps you maths geniuses can advise me as I am not sure what qualifies as 'low income'. I have no dependants:

Annual state pension - £7453.68
Annual Teacher's pension (net) £9449.28

Total - £16902.96

Rent and Council Tax - £6651.36

Residue - £10251.60 per annum.

[EDDIE51]

^^ That puts you over the pension credit limit Jackdaw, sorry.

[Jackdaw33]

Thought so, though I had hoped to retain at least a small amount of Housing Benefit.