Can I get housing benefit for my grandparents?

callumkelso
callumkelso Online Community Member Posts: 10 Listener
edited May 2021 in Benefits and income
Hi can anyone clarify if I can get housing benefit for my grandparents as I live rent free and they own their own home I would happily let it be paid straight to them.


Kind regards

Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    Hi there 

    Unfortunately not as housing benefit is for those renting if they own their own home there is no housing cost so no entitlement to housing benefit 


  • callumkelso
    callumkelso Online Community Member Posts: 10 Listener
    Hi again l, only I don't own the home its my grandparents so could I not claim on behalf of them asking me for rent?
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    You can only claim if you have a landlord and a tenancy agreement and living with relatives doesn't qualify 
  • callumkelso
    callumkelso Online Community Member Posts: 10 Listener
    Why does it say you may be able to claim of living with relatives on such grandparents on the government website?
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Online Community Member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    I'm not certain of all the conditions but you don't pay rent and they have no housing costs so how would you be entitled 

    Hope others can help if not get in touch with welfare rights 
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited July 2022
    Update: Incorrect - see following post.

    First all - almost nobody can make a new claim for Housing Benefit because it has been replaced by Universal Credit.
    Whether or not you will have any entitlement to Universal Credit depends on your circumstances.
    If you are entitled to claim UC and live with your grandparents and pay them rent you could be entitled to help with the rent through the housing element of UC if DWP accept that it is a commercial arrangement. Given that you have not been paying rent up to now they are unlikely to accept this and would most likely see it as a contrived tenancy creating for the purpose of obtaining benefit.
  • con1374
    con1374 Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    Im sorry but the information you have been given here is completely incorrect.

    you are entitled to hosuing as i receive. You are not allowed to claim if you are renting from 'close family'. This advice is good for anyone also searching this topic as thats also how i found this bad advice which i beleived for a year. 

    Here are the gov.co.uk terms for what is classed as 'close family'.

    " But a person who resides with, and pays rent to, a ‘close relative’ cannot claim benefit support for housing costs because they should not be treated as liable to pay rent.  

    What is meant by ‘close relative’? 

    A ‘close relative’ is defined as:

    • a parent;
    • a parent-in-law;
    • a son or daughter;
    • a son- or daughter-in-law;
    • a step-son or daughter;
    • a sibling; or
    • the spouse or unmarried partner of any of these people.​   "

    As you can see, grandparents arent consider close family. Here is the link for these official terms - https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/benefit-support-for-housing-costs-when-renting-from-relatives/


    Hope you find this correc dvice helpful!

  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    edited July 2022
    Con1374 is correct. 
    Thanks Con1374.
    Definition of close relative for UC guidance can be found here
    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1076445/admf7.pdf
    Paragraph F7111
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    This thread is 14 months old. As the OP was living rent free, how would it have been possible to claim for help with the rent because there was no rent to claim for.
    callumkelso said:
     I live rent free



  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    poppy123456 said:
    This thread is 14 months old. As the OP was living rent free, how would it have been possible to claim for help with the rent because there was no rent to claim for.
    callumkelso said:
     I live rent free

    In the original thread the OP was, I think asking, if his grandparents could charge rent for which he could then claim help. Given the point raised by Con1374 I think it is possible that OP could have done.
  • con1374
    con1374 Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    The reply was also mainly advice for new people trying to find the answer for themselves, like myself who does comtribute money to my grandparents, a third of the rent!

    This discussion was ranked quite hight in the search and was also misleading advice! 
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,001 Championing
    con1374 said:.. was also misleading advice! 
    Agreed, which i am happy to acknowledge. Appreciate you posting.

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