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leaving home, JSA, and council tax

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hey, got a few queries here

Ive decided i want to move to lincoln, to live in the house i lived in as a student . My plan is to go on job seekers allowance until i can find work, which will give me enough money to live in the meantime.

However, internet research has failed me somewhat, does anyone know if my rent and council tax would get paid as a benefit in addition to me recieving JSA every week? My parents seem to think so. If this isnt the case, then JSA wont be enough for me to pay rent and eat so it wont be possible, as i really need to be living in lincoln while im looking for work as its over 3 hours away from where i am now, and i would have to probably end up paying more to travel up and down for interviews etc.

Also, as the house is for students, the landlord gets council tax exempt, which means that as im not a student i will be responsible for council tax charges. If i get this paid in addition to recieving JSA, will they pay it in this circumstance, giving that i will be the only non student there? In fact, if council tax needs to be paid, would i need to pay for the tax of the whole house or just my share as there will be 4 people living there? (but 3 other students....)

Also im getting really confused about council tax charges, i *think* that the house i plan on moving to is in band A but i cant seem to find how much council tax would be charged for this? been on the lincolnshire council website and it just ended up confusing me...im not sure if the figures i saw were the increase or the actual council tax itself!

Going to speak to the landlord but he's on holiday at the moment so i cant just yet, so if anyone knows anything it would help, cheers

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can get subsidied and discounted tax and rent, but they won't necessarily pay all of it for you.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    what about housing benefit too?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've got no experience at all so wouldn't know. Have you looked at www.direct.gov.uk? That's the government website with all the benefit info on. Might help..

    ETA: There's a topic around her somewhere about it, but I think if you are the only person eligible to pay council tax in the house (ie the only one who's not a student) you get a 25% discount on the coucil tax bill.

    ETA more: http://www.lincoln.gov.uk/ben_calc.asp?sec_id=1436 Website to help you work out your benefit entitlement (I haven't tested it tho).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you get JSA, you're also entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit. The forms come with your JSA claim forms, but be warned - some councils can take months and months to sort your housing benefit claim out, and they usually fuck it up somehow. Its based on the supposed "market value" of the rent, which in practice is usually below the actual market value, leaving you to make up the shortfall from your JSA. You will need to have the deposit and advance rent yourself.
    With the council tax benefit, if you are living with other people on benefits or students, you won't pay any council tax. If you are living with people who are working and eligible to pay CT, you will only get a third discount.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagstas right, They wont pay for you to live in a big house on your own for instance, but theyll pay the going rate for a one bed flat or a room in a houseshare or a bedsit, as long as its roughly the local going rate. If its more than that, youll have to pay the extra.
    if you get housing benefit, youll get CT benefit as well.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagstas right, They wont pay for you to live in a big house on your own for instance, but theyll pay the going rate for a one bed flat or a room in a houseshare or a bedsit, as long as its roughly the local going rate. If its more than that, youll have to pay the extra.

    In the south east they will almost always pay less than the local going rate. Lincoln might be OK though. I always got the full rate in Birmingham.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    im in the south east and i get my full rent paid. I dont know if thats cos im on income support rather than JSA, but i was on JSA 6 or 7 years ago and they paid my full rent then too.
    Maybe they just like me?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    im going into a small 4 bedroomed house where all rooms shall be occupied and i pay around £50 per week in rent for my room and this includes bills
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i will still know where you live then :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You can ask the council for a pre tenancy evaluation on what they would be willing to pay on rent for that particular house. Although i may be wrong but i think for single people they just pay the going rate for someone in a room in someones house.
    Not all landlord will accept people who aren't working either.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    they will take off the amount for bills - they wont pay that, unless you can get your landlord to say that bills arent included in the rent, but they probably wont.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    im in the south east and i get my full rent paid. I dont know if thats cos im on income support rather than JSA, but i was on JSA 6 or 7 years ago and they paid my full rent then too.
    Maybe they just like me?

    I've only ever claimed HB in the SE in Brighton, 10 years ago. They paid £16 under the value of the rent - which was very average. I've never claimed in London, but my g/f has and they paid her less than the rent - which was average. It was a similar story for some of my clients in my last job.

    You're lucky.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Housing benefit is assessed separately to income support but it is probably that if you qualify for one you qualify for the other. Not sure about JSA though.

    If you are under 25 then housing benefit will only cover a room in a shared house if you qualify (rather than you own flat) but this is what Blah was interested in anyway.
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