Can You Claim Benefits If You Are Living With Parents?
By
HuutiMoney
Living with your parents affects benefits as well as the cost of living expenses for both parties involved. This is the reason why we aim to explore through this blog’s content if you can claim benefits while living with your parents. We will also review the benefits that will be affected as a result of this as well as discuss some real-life situations affecting your benefits if you live with your parents.
Can You Claim Benefits If You Are Living With Parents?
Yes, you can claim benefits if you are living with your parents. If you are at least 18 years of age, on a low income, and not pursuing a full-time education, you can claim Universal Credit even if you are living with your parents. In some cases, individuals who are on a low income and are not enrolled in a full-time course can claim Universal Credit at 16 or 17 years of age whether they live with their parents or not.
However, if you are living with your parents, your benefits payments may be reduced in certain cases. For instance, if you claim Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, living with your parents will decrease the amount that you receive.
The reason for this reduction in payments is primarily because when you are living with your parents, you are not expected to pay rent to them. This reduced your housing costs. Secondly, living with parents includes their income during your means test for a benefit claim.
This means that their income and savings will be taken into account when you apply for welfare benefits. In this manner, even if you have no income, your payments will be affected by your parents’ income or savings. This is usually the case when individuals living with their parents apply for a Jobseeker’s Allowance.
In certain cases, once individuals are over 16 years old, they can start claiming their Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments directly; while other benefits will still be claimed by their parents.
If you are living with your parents to take care of them and one of them claims Attendance Allowance, you can apply for Carer’s Allowance for yourself. This is a benefit aimed at providing support to carers who spend 35 hours or more per week taking care of someone (whether or not they are family) who is unable to perform everyday tasks and needs support or supervision.
On the other hand, if you are living with your parents due to your health condition or a disability due to which you need supervision or assistance in taking care of yourself, you can claim Disability Living Allowance.
You can claim benefits by contacting your local council or the Department for Work and Pensions. However, claimants must ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria for the benefits they claim.
Can You Claim Disability Benefits If You Are Living With Parents?
Yes, you can claim disability benefits if you are living with your parents.
Disabled adults who live with their parents can claim (or their parents can claim on their behalf) the following benefits in the UK:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
- Universal Credit (UC)
Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are state benefits that intend to cover the additional costs of disability for claimants. PIP has recently replaced DLA and has two parts; the daily living component and the mobility component. These are further subdivided into two rates; which are standard and enhanced.
If someone is unable to work due to a health condition or disability (termed as “limited capability for work”), they may also claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). You can claim ESA and PIP at the same time; should you qualify to meet the conditions for both benefits. If a disabled adult is employed and unable to work, they may claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from their employer for 28 weeks.
In certain cases, disabled adults will be able to claim Universal Credit due to their limited capability for work and sometimes their parents can claim this benefit if they are the ones taking care of a disabled adult. In addition to this, someone who is taking care of a disabled person will also be able to claim Carer’s Allowance, especially if the person they take care of is on Attendance Allowance.
Can You Claim Benefits If You Are A Full-Time Student Living With Parents?
Yes, you can claim certain benefits if you are a full-time student living with your parents.
To qualify for Universal Credit, a full-time student should be able to meet the below-listed conditions:
- aged 21 or below; in full-time non-advanced education and without any parental support
- in full-time non-advanced education, not getting student loans or maintenance grants and available for work
- responsible for a child
- living with a partner who is claiming Universal Credit
- disabled and assessed as having limited capability for work
- claiming Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment
While Tax Credits are being replaced with Universal Credit, full-time students can qualify for Working Tax Credit if they have a job and are on low income. If they are responsible for a child (or children) they can also claim Child Tax Credit.
As a full-time student, you can only claim JSA if you are also a lone parent or you are taking up a DWP-related course for some time. However, if you are getting financial support through a loan or a grant, your payments will reduce as the monetary support in this case will count as income.
Can You Claim Benefits If You Are In An Apprenticeship While Living With Parents?
Yes, depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim benefits while living with your parents. For instance, if you are in a recognised apprenticeship, you can continue claiming Universal Credit.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions, apprentices can claim Universal Credit if they fulfil the below criteria:
- they have a named training provider
- they are working towards a recognised qualification or vocational training
- they are entitled to the national minimum wage
While there are no upper or lower limits to the number of hours that an apprentice must work to claim Universal Credit; however, they must be working at least 30 hours per week.
However, if someone is in an apprenticeship program, they will not be able to claim Jobseekers Allowance or Personal Independence Payments.
Conclusion:
Based on the discussion in this article, we can conclude that you can claim benefits if you are living with your parents. However, the amount that you claim can be affected by a reduction in your living expense as well as the savings of your parents contributing towards your means-test.
FAQs: Can You Claim Benefits If You Are Living With Parents?
Can you claim Universal Credit if you are living with your parents?
Yes, you can claim Universal Credit if you are living with your parents. However, the amount that you receive will be reduced since you will no longer get help with housing costs.
At what age can you claim Universal Credit?
You can claim Universal Credit on your own once you are 18 years old. In certain cases, 16 and 17-year-olds can also claim Universal Credit as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
What benefits can a 19-year-old claim?
Depending on their circumstances and ability to qualify for the benefits, 19-year-olds can claim Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Employment and Support Allowance, and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Can an 18-year-old claim Universal Credit if they are living at home?
Yes, an 18-year-old can claim Universal Credit if they are living at home. However, if they are in full education or do not qualify for being on low income, they may not be able to claim the benefit.
What is classed as low-income for a single person for 2022?
If an individual earns equal to or less than £31,285 before tax during the 2021/2022 financial term, it will be classed as low income in the UK.
References:
Check if you can get Universal Credit – Citizens Advice