should council pay rent

[cecil39]

my son, his wife and baby have been living with my oh an me for a few weeks now, as they had to leave the flat they were sharing with her Dad, as he had to give up the flat, instead of the council letting them stay on till they found them another property they made them homeless, so here they still are, should the council be making them a rent allowance? after all if they were in a B&B they would get the rent paid as my son was made redundant recently and is unemployed at the moment.

[Richard1966]

Housing benefit is never payable if staying with a close relative.

[cathfromsaron]

yes, if they presented as homeless at the council they would get b&b accommodation which would cost the council money.

but they haven't and housing benefit rules are very strict.

make sure you have the overcrowding assessed and any doctors letters drafted, so they will get more points to get a new place, and fill in forms for both housing association and council lets x

[boxtops]

I can understand why the council didn't let them stay on - the tenancy was in her dad's name, they have no right to stay.

[cathfromsaron]

it's a shame he couldn't have made them joint tenants (after one year of living there) and then they could have stayed.

unless it was an elderly or disabled adapted apartment?

[bednobs]

As has been said above, they are not homeless, they have a home with you. If they wanted to live in a b abd b, then you should throw them out and make them homeless. While they are living in your house, they won't be entitled to housing benefit.

[cecil39]

thanks for all your help and opinions, thats a great help, so since i could'nt possibly throw them out we will have to battle on, we hoped for a bit of rent money as it looks like we will have to heat the house soon and that would have helped. hoping a new job and flat turns up soon, thanks again.

[barry1010]

Surely you'd have the heating on anyway?
Your son and his wife are getting some money and they should be contributing.
If you kick them out they will be put in to B&B with their rent paid. Your choice.

[cecil39]

no we would'nt have the heating on yet, but have to with a tiny baby in the house, and they do pay their way as much as possible but as anyone unemployed will tell you, its hard, but no doubt we will get by.
we have just found out that the flat they were turned out of is still empty after six weeks, how many people have been waiting in a B&B, when they could have been given that empty flat weeks ago?