Does having an adult child living with you affect your UC

happyfella

Hi, my sister in law son wants to move back home to help look after her. She is struggling financially and is struggling with her health. But she is worried that it will affect her Universale credit. He will not be paying rent but he wants to help out and pay electric and gas bills and pay for the weekly shopping bill. This would help her a lot but she is worried that it would affect her universale credit. She lives with her husband who is off work at the moment and receives SSP and she gets the enchanced carers allowance from UC. She receives around £520 a month from UC, and he receives £360 SSP. They will be coming off Universal credit in around three months when he is fit to go back to work. Her son earns Gross around £350 a week.  She would love to have him come and live with her but not if it affect her UC, and would wait until they come off UC. Can anyone explain if this would affect her UC payments

calcotti

Is she getting Daily Living part of PIP?

happyfella

calcotti said:

Is she getting Daily Living part of PIP?

yes, she receives both

calcotti

In that case his presence will make no difference to her UC.
Normally, if she gets help with rent in her UC, an adult non dependent would be expected to make a housing cost contribution and a deduction would be made from the UC payable. However no such deduction is made if the claimant, or non dependant, receive a disability benefit.
If she doesn't rent her home all of the above is not relevant anyway.

happyfella

That is great. She was because UC is a benefit that looks at money coming in, and she was worried that with having her son back home, and with him offering to pay her electric and gas bill and weekly shopping that UC would class this as having another income in the house

calcotti

Her adult son is not treated as part of her benefit unit.

happyfella

that is great news, thanks

calcotti

For anyone reading this who wants more information about housing cost contributions in UC see https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/benefits/universal_credit_housing_cost_contributions

Adrian_Scope

Thanks for your help here @calcotti.