Bedroom tax

Pamela1509debbie

Can anybody tell me do you still have to pay bedroom tax if a member of your family comes to stay with you a couple of nights a week to help care for you?.
I'm a single parent in a housing association 2 bed property I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoarthritis amongst other things and my daughter has now gone to University..Although so far she is coming home at weekends I'm now going to struggle for help during the week as I only have a carer come in for an hour each day. If my son comes to stay with me for 2 possibly 3 nights during the week where does that leave me regarding bedroom tax?. 
Any advice appreciated 

Pamela1509debbie

SORRY NEW TO THIS DIDN'T MEAN TO POST IT UNDER UNIVERSAL CREDIT  I'm not in receipt of that, I get ESA and PIP and council tax and housing benefit 

Geoark

Unless the rules have changed, your daughter going to university should not result in you becoming liable for bedroom tax. You are not under occupying the home as it still remains your daughter's main place of residence as she is only away temporarily and it can be reasonably expected that she will return to living with you full time when her course is finished, and is the likely place she will return to during the winter and summer holidays.

I would be surprised if the rules have changed as this would be an additional barrier for young people going to university.

Pamela1509debbie

Geoark thank you so much for your reply its been a huge help. The council keep sending me the form to fill in for voting aswell asking who lives at the property so do you know if I add her to this then, I'm presuming I do? 

Pamela1509debbie

Thank you so much for replying to me you've been a great help, much appreciated.

Pamela1509debbie

Geoark said:

Unless the rules have changed, your daughter going to university should not result in you becoming liable for bedroom tax. You are not under occupying the home as it still remains your daughter's main place of residence as she is only away temporarily and it can be reasonably expected that she will return to living with you full time when her course is finished, and is the likely place she will return to during the winter and summer holidays.

I would be surprised if the rules have changed as this would be an additional barrier for young people going to university.

Pamela1509debbie

Sorry Ive never used anything like this before I seem to be making a real mess of it 🤨🙄😩

poppy123456

Hi,

If your daughter is now at university then all changes must be reported, even if she does still come home you still need to report the changes. Your local council will then decide if the bedroom tax applies to you. Also the bedroom tax only applies if you live in social housing. If you live in a privately rented home then it doesn't apply.

Geoark

@Pamela1509debbie

This is covered in section 7 of the housing benefits regulations - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/regulation/7/made
 HB Reg 7(13) [13 weeks] and 7(16)(c)(viii) and 7(17) [52 weeks students]

poppy123456 is correct that the bedroom tax only affects social housing tenants, however for private tenants they would be affected by the LHA rate. Both only apply if subject to housing benefit of course.

With regards to voting, this again suggests your daughter can still be considered living in your home, information can be found at https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/students?

I would suggest speaking to your daughter where she wants to register for national elections, if the home address I would recommend she registers for postal vote while at university. You might find it easier to register her at the home address.

I know when my daughter went to university I advised her to register as a temporary patient with a loca doctor. This got messed up and she was registered as a permanent patient, which meant when she was home and needed to see a doctor it got complicated and she had to register with a new doctor.

Don't worry too much about the mistakes, you will soon get used to it.