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Hi, my name is Boog! contribution based ESA and renting out rooms. How much can I make?

Boog

hey everyone. Happy NYE!
I’m on contribution based ESA and rent out my room sometimes for the money. I can’t find anything on HMRC or DWP how much I’m allowed to make or how I claim it plus min using expenses. Does anyone have a link to some defined info please?

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poppy123456

If all of your ESA is contributions based this isn't means tested so not affected by income from a lodger.

If any part of your ESA is Income Related or you're claiming any other means tested benefits like housing benefit then income from a lodger will affect those.

If you were claiming single person discount for council tax then you may lose that, unless the lodger is a student.

Rules for HMRC can be see here.

https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/the-rent-a-room-scheme

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rent-a-room-for-traders-hs223-self-assessment-helpsheet/hs223-rent-a-room-scheme-2021 (guide was updated in April 2024)

Albus_Alumni

Heya @Boog and welcome to the community!

I can see Poppy has already answered your question, but I wanted to pop in and say a quick hello and a happy new year. 😊

Boog

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/960778#Comment_960778

hey Poppy, thanks for this. Yes I had seen it but it doesn’t quite fit the criteria. Neither does FHL furnished holiday let (because of the days available criteria) it’s a whole house I own that I air b n b for 6 weeks intermittently when I’m away seeing family all year round

I contacted the DWP and they couldn’t answer the question so referred me to the Benefits Center who said they would contact me by phone within two weeks and send some form out. Crazy crazy system.

poppy123456

When ringing any DWP department you are not speaking to someone from DWP itself. You are speaking to someone from a call centre who are not benefits advisors. They should be the last place you go for such advice.

I found a thread on Rightsnet regarding your exact situation. You can read that here https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/but/viewthread/17652/