Can my parents claim being homeless ?

[discodown 11]

Basically they won't get council property if they turn up in sheffield. Not because they aren't necessarily entitled but because there isn't enough to go around, They should be entitled to housing benefit though so they can rent privately. Get in touch with the housing associations and so on and secure a property for them before they get here. Don't have them turn up in the UK without property sorted because it could be a very long while before the council sorts anything

[Mr Gobby 10]

They have been staying with me in my property in Canary Islands. They don´t own their own property. They can stay for a short while with my sister. I´ve just found out that they have an online pin number with the council to bid for council property. Can they stilluse this?

 

Where did they live prior to moving 12yrs ago.

[danny11 10]

Just got to benefit office and they will put them in tempoary housing (bed and breakfast) if they are staying longish you can rent them a room and charge them full rent and housing benefit will paid you (nice little earner there) been doing it for years, only different is i brought the house to rent to my parents,

[Ms Macbeth 73]

In regards to your family returning back to the UK, most sites Ive googled have recommended you speak to someone at Citizens Advise as the rules are quite complex

 

 

This is the way to go, by taking advice from the CAB, or contacting Shelter. People may think they are helping by telling you what they think the rules are, but the situation is fairly complex for anyone returning to the UK after years of living abroad.

 

This is from the Shelter website: You may not be eligible to apply for council housing immediately if you have been living outside the UK, Eire, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for a lengthy period. This is because councils can only provide housing for people who are classed as 'habitually resident'.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/finding_a_place_to_live/council_waiting_lists/who_is_eligible_to_apply#1

 

Shelter have a free helpline: 0808 800 4444

Edited December 30, 2010 by Ms Macbeth

[Nadzmeister 10]

Miss Jones

 

You can ask your local council's housing department for help if you're parents have nowhere to stay or are likely to lose teir accommodation in the next 28 days. The council is legally required to give your parents advice and help them to find a place to live. Depending on their situation, they may have to provide accommodation for them.

 

In order to check what help it has to give them, the council will have to look into their personal situation in detail. The council first has to check whether they are:

 

* homeless or threatened with homelessness, and

* eligible for assistance, and

* in priority need.

 

Each of these terms has a special legal meaning. If the council believes that they meet these criteria, it has to provide emergency accommodation from the date they make the application until it has finished checking out their situation.

 

Once it has finished its enquiries it will have to find longer-term accommodation for them if it is satisfied that they are also not intentionally homeless, and that they have a local connection with the area.

 

Regarding the fact that your parents are abroad; one of the first things the Council will check is whether ther are habitually resident.

 

If you have recently returned to the UK after living abroad, even if you are a British citizen, the council must check whether you meet the habitual residence test. This involves looking at what your normal place of residence is.

 

If you are not habitually resident in the UK, you will not be eligible for assistance.

 

The council should check:

 

* where you live

* where you work

* where you have family or other social connections

* where your belongings are

* the reasons why you have come to live in the UK

* what your intentions for the future are.

 

If the council tells you that it does not consider you to be habitually resident in the UK, get advice as it can be difficult to challenge their decision. If you fail the habitual residence test this may also affect your entitlement to benefits such as income support, jobseekers allowance and housing benefit.

 

In most cases, people will become habitually resident in the UK once they have lived here for a few months. If you make a new homelessness application at this point, the council may decide that you are eligible for assistance, even if you were not eligible before.

 

I hope this helps