Hi, my name is StressedParent! Is my daughter entitled to housing benefit?

StressedParent

Hi,

My 26yr old daughter who has Complex Epilepsy, Autism and learning disabilities lives in a residential care home. I have just been informed that her ESA is changing to Universal credit, which i have already applied for, but because the local authority fund part of her care and most of her ESA pays for the rest (which goes to the local authority) UC say they don't pay the housing payment, and to contact the authority. They passed me to Adult services who didn't answer the phone so i thought i would ask if anyone knows if she is entitled to Housing benefit and who to contact?

Thanks in advance

durhamjaide2001

hi there and welcome to the forum unfortunately I'm not an expert in this area but what I can recommend is the coffee lounge for a general chat or the games den for some fun.

Kimi87

As you daughter lives in supported housing, her rent will continue to be paid via local authority Housing Benefit, even after UC migration.

So you need to contact your local authority, benefits department.

surfygoose

If it’s a residential care home then she won’t be claiming any housing benefit or allowance or whatever they call it. In supported living people pay rent. I live in residential care. I have autism, epilepsy and learning disabilities. Residential care we don’t have our own individual tenancy agreements. We don’t pay rent so we aren’t entitled with help with rent because there is none to pay. We pay our care contribution from our benefits and the local authority pays the rest but it isn’t rent because we don’t have a tenancy agreement. The care and accommodation are all tied in together under one bill. We give all our ESA / UV to the local authority except for the £30.65 per week personal expenses allowance we are allowed to keep as pocket money. Also we can keep our PIP mobility element if we have that. We can’t claim PIP daily living whilst living in residential care.

Supported living the care and bills / rent are handled separately. People can claim help with rent and they can claim PIP daily living element as well as Mobility element.

Residential care bills are included which is why we get left with less benefits because we have more things included. So if she’s definitely in residential like me then she doesn’t need any housing element to be paid. But if you just had the wrong words because they easily get mixed up, and she’s actually in a home that’s classed as supported living then yes she would be entitled to help with her rent.

StressedParent

Thanks so much for replying ☺️

I totally understand now that someone has explained it properly.

Thanks again 😀

surfygoose

That’s ok. It’s all very confusing!