Bedroom Tax With daughter @ Uni

Kizzie123 · January 27

Hi can anyone advise please as I keep getting told different things from U/C and scared to make a change .

My daughter was claiming U/C before she went to uni and still is as got LCWRA just before she started . She also gets enhanced Pip. The disabled team have been good at uni for her, she doesn’t have to go in if she is too tired with her CFS or if her knees have come out .
I had to go onto U/C when she left for uni. I have got LCW ( although I am still waiting for a tribunal regarding the LCWRA) . I have been awarded pip l. Rate since I had a breakdown . I receive carers allowance as my mother has alzheimers , although I think it is too much for me doing the care for her as I’m really struggling to cope and not be overwhelmed . Financially it makes no difference as I get it taken off £1 for £1 ( though I think it’s a £40 carer element I receive in my award) . My mother however gets her severe disabilty premium taken off ( same amount as carers allowance )The confusion I have is I get hit with the bedroom tax, I thought as my daughter does come home a lot more often due to her disabilty that I need her 2nd bedroom . This has been going on for about 15 months trying to sort this out . I get told no because she has her own u/ c claim and rents a room in a house , then her caseworker who I speak to for her with her u/ c claim says her claim is separate and that I should say that she is a non dependant in the flat as she comes home quite a lot depending on her health . Can someone please advise and tell me the pros and cons of doing this , I just keep giving up trying to find out with uc as I get told something different all the time !

Biblioklept · January 27

you can't claim a room for her if she has her own claim and has a fixed address elsewhere that she rents and gets help with rent for, regardless of how often she comes home, because her permanent address is the one UC use to decide her residence.

Depending on your PIP award you could potentially claim an additional room for overnight care if for example your daughter or someone else came regularly to care for you overnight @Kizzie123

But you can't claim the room for her since she's already claiming for accomodation elsewhere and has a permanent address elsewhere

With carer's allowance, your UC should include a carer element of £201 a month as well as the carer allowance you are paid separately (which is then deducted from UC). Do you know for definite your mum would get SDP if you stopped caring for her? If you only have LCW be aware if you stop caring you may start getting asked to do work related activities and have regular meetings at the job centre xx

Kizzie123 · January 27

Thank you for the reply - that’s what I thought as she can’t have 2 addresses . It is only though for the bedroom that I need for her as she comes home quite regularly - when she is staying either here or at her rented accommodation it’s hard for her to go anywhere - hence the 1 week half term end up being 3 weeks here .

I don’t need anyone to look after me - I prefer being alone !
My mum did have the SDP before I started claiming carers allowance for her

I definitely could not cope with doing any work related activities which is why the M.R team at the citizens advice told me I should still appeal it .

I am aware though that you can’t get LCWRA and Carers allowance I think for 2 reasons I believe . 1 being that the higher amount would cancel out the lower amount , and that being a carer can contradict what you can say u can/ can’t do as I am going for the tribunal for lcwra - even tho a lot of it with my mum is phone calls , reminders and taking her everywhere to appointments no physical lifting

I did find out tho that h.b did use to let you keep a room for your child whilst they were at uni as they know they come home a lot

I get told so many different things on the u/ c phone !

Rachel_Scope · January 28

Hi @Kizzie123, this isn't something I'm very familiar with I'm afraid. I just wanted to check if you're getting the right support as you say you feel overwhelmed and have previously had a breakdown. Have you considered respite care? It allows you to have a break while your mum is cared for by someone else. Here's some more information https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-breaks-and-respite-care/ . It's important to look after yourself.

Biblioklept · January 28

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1097661#Comment_1097661

It's not that she's at university, it's that she has her own claim with a different address, she can't claim to permanently live at two places at once, and receive help for rent at one place and then you receive rent help for her to have a room with you too. Even on HB it would have been the same.

If she didn't have her own claim and wasn't renting another place to live, it may have been possible with her uni time considered a temporary absence but not if she's renting and living somewhere else that she's also claiming for ❤️

Kizzie123 · January 28

thank you , yes that’s what I did initially think - u can’t be living at 2 places . I’m only gett8ng the deduction for the bedroom tax , it was just her case worker who I have to speak to at her uc claim as she gets overwhelmed with everything said I shd put her on to say I need the bedroom for her when she comes back for uni - long w/ends and half term as it’s on my uc claim . I thought this couldn’t be right but she said her own uc claim is paying her rented room for when she is at uni . Saying that we are still in the middle of trying to sort out her halls rent she paid sept 24 - July 25! I try to sort it out then suddenly my mum will need help / have a fall or I will just have a meltdown ( since found out it’s an adhd burnout now that I’ve been diagnosed ) I don’t want to muck up her claim at all

Bedroom Tax With daughter @ Uni

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