Claiming benefits for the first time. Advise needed please.

[newme]

There's no under-occupancy fee, it's that your housing benefit or housing element is reduced by a certain amount if you have a "spare room." If you're not claiming those benefits it makes no difference.

Fair enough I am fairly new to the world of not claiming housing elements, thought there was some spare room thing tho I maybe way out of date.

yes, that.

generally speaking, you're in the wrong if you 'overcrowd' a place, but i've never heard of an 'under-occupancy fee' in terms of the actual rent.

if you are get to the point where you're seriously under-occupying (e.g. after children have grown up and moved out), some councils / housing associations have a scheme that encourages tenants to move to a smaller place - some will pay something towards moving costs, decorating / carpeting new place and so on, but it's not a national scheme.

As above I may be well out of date and yes was when kids left tho we would basically be left with the tiny box room spare in the middle of nowhere really. Also absolutely no intent to leave and between us over 80 years of connection to house specifically by then and over 100 to within 20 miles of it. Do know next door have a lodger but unsure about the legality of the arrangement and they have been here even longer than we have (just the lodger) the tenants are way longer then that.

 

[marty21]

Do the UC people actually communicate with the LAs on this. My vibe on the meetings I've had with them is that they're very much siloed? Just the way they were talking. No proof was asked for by the UC about the single occupancy thing, she just ticked the box.

I don't currently deal with UC Rent Element stuff , but Councils have a portal direct with UC , it is used to confirm rent details for council tenancies & to request direct payments .

 

[marty21]

Can you have a lodger in a council house?

Yes , technically you are supposed to inform the council but many tenants probably don't, if you are claiming HB/UC rent element you should inform the council or DWP as it would effect your entitlement.

 

[Petcha]

I don't currently deal with UC Rent Element stuff , but Councils have a portal direct with UC , it is used to confirm rent details for council tenancies & to request direct payments .

OK. I'm just going to be honest(ish) with them. They've got my tenancy agreement. I'll just say I didn't know I had to let the LA know I had a lodger. I have an accent so I'll ham that up a bit if it comes up. But I'll let them know the situation. Still unclear as to how it works with all the bills though as I cover that for the entire flat and just build it into the lodger's rent.

 

[marty21]

OK. I'm just going to be honest(ish) with them. They've got my tenancy agreement. I'll just say I didn't know I had to let the LA know I had a lodger. I have an accent so I'll ham that up a bit if it comes up. But I'll let them know the situation. Still unclear as to how it works with all the bills though as I cover that for the entire flat and just build it into the lodger's rent.

Bills are not taken into account as far as I'm aware.

 

[MrsArcanum]

Fair enough I am fairly new to the world of not claiming housing elements, thought there was some spare room thing tho I maybe way out of date.



As above I may be well out of date and yes was when kids left tho we would basically be left with the tiny box room spare in the middle of nowhere really. Also absolutely no intent to leave and between us over 80 years of connection to house specifically by then and over 100 to within 20 miles of it. Do know next door have a lodger but unsure about the legality of the arrangement and they have been here even longer than we have (just the lodger) the tenants are way longer then that.

There are minimum lettable room sizes which start from 4.64 m2 for a child age under 10. Adult single rooms should be 6.51 m2 - although this can be flexible depending on the LA.

 

[newme]

There are minimum lettable room sizes which start from 4.64 m2 for a child age under 10. Adult single rooms should be 6.51 m2 - although this can be flexible depending on the LA.

Yeh it would be one of the actual sized bedrooms, its probably 14ft square, probably won't even do it just exploring options for when the kids leave. If SO gets on PIP or whatever its called now then we're sorted. Unfortunately its rather stacked against the sort of issues she has for being accepted onto it from what I can gather. Had one before and she got defensive and went yes of course I can to stuff cos she was on her own and scared they would take the kids, not unsurprisingly.