a question for maybe a housing/ benifit officer in the uk only?

Question

my daughters partner died about a year ago now since then she and her son my grandson have been living with us at home i am in rented /private housing.Now if she gave up her house and told the dhss and council she now lives with mum and dad, would we then be eligable to be put on the housing list as we now have a dependant{5yr] old or would it not be classed as our dependant, and would she loose all or part of her benifits/ also woul my tax no change as i am brining up a child again???thankyou in advance.

Answer 1

You cant claim any benefits for your grandson as he is your daughters dependent, not yours. However your daughter, as a single parent, can claim Income Support or if shes working Working Tax Credits for her and her son. She would get the full rate wherever she is living. If she pays you anything for rent she may be able to claim some housing benefit for it under certain circumstances.
You are eligible for housing for yourself and 'anyone who could reasonably be expected to live with you'. An adult non dependent is not normally classed as someone who would be counted as being expected to live with you. You could apply for a 3 bedroomed house, but chances are you wouldnt get one,but it depends on availability of your local council. However with private housing you can apply for as big a house as you want.
You can check out the finer details with someone at your local CAB

Answer 2

The housing and benefits questions are two seperate issues. The housing need would be decided on the amount of space you have and the amount of space/amenities available to everyone living in your home. It also depends on the income of the adults in the household. I suggest she goes and gets proper advice either from the local authority, of from the Citizens Advice Bureau. THe child is not your dependant but hers and the benefit situation is complicated. Again the Citizens Advice will be able to help. Your tax liability would only change if you are eligible for Income Tax Credit but since the child is not your dependent it is unlikely you'd qualify.

Answer 3

if she gives up a council property they will tell you anything to get that deal done. then when you re-apply they will tell you that you made yourself intentionally homeless and will not let you re-apply. she may lose some benefit if you or your husband are working.