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Hello Everyone,
I am new here, I am a single mum of two boys and am on Income Support at the moment.
I am not getting housing benefit or council tax deductions but my question is this.
I have a friend who is due home on leave from the Army after being in Afghanistan for 6 months. His family don't live nearby and he is based at the opposite end of the Country.
He will be visiting my area quite often and will be staying at my home, as of yet I am not sure how long for or when.
Obviously as a guest he won't be contributing financially, in the past when he has stayed he has taken me and the kids out for dinner etc as payment for staying.
I am scared that him just being at my home will be considered as him 'living' here. He obviously doesn't want to spend his leave at the Barracks when all his friends aren't there and will be splitting time between here and his parents home.
Because I don't get housing benefit or council tax reductions am I OK to have a guest at my home?
Thanks in Advance MT.
Hi MummyTummy, welcome along to One Space. I agree with Sparkling, it will be seen as co-habiting. I guess as well, it depends how long he stays with you, before he goes to his parents. Would it be like 2 wks with you, then on to parents for a few weeks?
Hi Mummytummy
The common misconception is that a person can stay over three nights per week, but actually it is all about them having another (main) place of residence where their post goes.
I presume your friend won't be staying for a long time? Everyone is entitled to have visitors for a while. If, however, he is looking at staying for a couple of months then strictly speaking the authorities would either regard you as a couple (in which case you would not be entitled to Income Support) or him as a lodger (in which case they will "assume" he is paying rent and deduct some of the "rent" from your Income Support.
Can I (nosily) ask why you don't get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, if you are on Income Support?
Hello,
Thanks for the replies. Firstly he is obviously on the electoral role and pays for his accommodation and council tax to the army barracks where he is based. I would assume his mail goes there too.
As it stands at the moment I aren't sure how long he will be staying or when he will be arriving, I am just going to be a stop gap and somewhere he can visit while on his leave and have some down time while on leave. He will be staying at my sisters too while here so he won't have to be here all of the time.
The neighbours don't concern me at all we're a pretty close knit cul de sac and they are aware of my single status , I just want to do the 'right thing' which has incidentally shot me in the foot in the past!.
Louise- I don't get housing benefit or council tax benefit as the house I owned with my Ex was sold and I told all authorities about the money I received from the sale and all benefits were frozen, I didn't want to claim benefits I wasn't entitled to.
Since then the money has all gone, I had bank statements and every penny was accounted for and was granted Income Support again, the housing and council tax benefit people have yet to get back to me, although I have been advised I am entitled.
Thanks again x
I think you should get in touch with the Housing Benefit people pronto and start a claim, Mummy Tummy!
Hi not sure if anyone will know this or not, but i applied for housing benefit 4 weeks ago. how long does it normally take to hear something? when should i start following it up?
Hi zippy, I am not sure how long it could take, however if you contact our 1-2-1 confidential email advisers, they will be able to help as they are experts on the benefit system and single parents! Good luck and let us know 
Thanks Anna
Hi
I think it depends how you get on with your neighbours...
You are doubting it, or you wouldn't be asking the question.
When I had a b/f he would stay over the weekend for a couple of nights, but then he went back to his place for the week, which was his main place of residence. He paid rent and he paid council tax and clearly lived there.
The Git (my ex) was clever enough to rent a bedsit when he moved in with The Gittess (they married the following year) to prove he had a place of residence.
I'm guessing that he proves he does have a permanant residence, and that he does stay there most of the time and not with you, then the chances are you'll be ok.
It is co-habiting though if he's with you most of the time. I think you also need to be aware of how he behaves when he is with you. If he is seen to be painting the house or doing the garden, that can be argued as a sign that he lives there.