Terms & Conditions

[Louise Morritt]

We have a claimant living in a two bedroomed property with her three year old child. Her landlord has parked a touring caravan on her driveway and is charging claimants mother, father and sister to sleep in it. The caravan has no electrcity, water, cooking or washing facilities so they go to claimant’s home to eat and wash. We have made a decision not to pay them Housing Benefit as we have deemed the caravan not to be a livable dwelling.

My question is would you take a non-dependant deduction from the claimant’s entitlement? The sister is not a dependant child so there would actually be two separate non-dep charges in this case.

[Bobkirkpatrick]

My question is why would you wish to make a non-dependent deduction? It simply amounts to a double-whammy – they’re being charged rent for the caravan (which you have refused to award HB for) and now you want to, in effect, make them pay extra.

[Anonymous]

It’s all a question I suppose of “home normally occupied”. If, in your view, they spend more time with your claimant then a non-dep deduction would be appropriate.

[anthony]

Isn’t the whole setup a HMO?

Which reg have you used to refuse the HB on the caravan?

[petedavies]

Not sure how the landlord could have parked the caravan on the driveway – I mean from the contractual rather than physical p.o.v.

I would have thought that amounts to a derogation of the grant (unless it is provided for in the tenancy agreement).

If that is the case then I would have thought that either:

(a) The rent your claimant is paying should be reduced.
(b) Your claimant should be receiving the rent for tha caravan.

[Author]

Posts