Housing costs
Pension Credit Page Index
Introduction to Pension Credit
How income is calculated for Pension Credit
Calculating capital for Pension Credit
Certain housing costs will be awarded provided that you or your partner is;
Allowable housing costs.
You will be awarded housing costs for any of the following;
Liability and responsibility for housing costs.
You have liability for housing costs when the mortgage or loan is in your name or that of your partner. You also have liability for housing costs if the person liable for those costs is not actually meeting them and you have to pay instead in order to carry on living in your home or if the housing costs are shared with other members of your household (who are not close relatives) and it is deemed "reasonable to treat you as sharing responsibility.
In terms of being responsible for housing costs, if you share payemnt with others then you will only be awarded for your share rather than the total amount.
Being treated as living in the home that housing costs are for.
Normally you will only be awarded housing costs for the home in which you (and any partner you may have) usually live. There are however some exceptions-
When deciding whether or not an award for two homes is reasonable, the DWP will take the following factors into account:
You may also be awarded costs for two homes for up to four weeks if you move to a new home and you are liable for housing costs on both homes and this liability is unavoidable.
You will not be awarded an amount for both homes if your second home was bought as an investment opportunity or a weekend retreat or a country cottage.
You will not be awarded an amount for the second home if it is solely occupied by people who are not your dependants.
Temporary absences from home.
There are number of circumstances in which you will continue to be awarded housing costs even though you are temporarily absent from your home.
If you enter a care home for a trial period to see whether the accommodation meets your needs and you intend to return home if the accommodation is unsuitable and you have not let or sub-let your home to someone else then you will continue to be awarded housing costs for up to thirteen weeks.
You can also be absent from your home for up to thirteen weeks provided that:
The DWP guidance states that your intention to return to live in your home must be unqualified and be present from the start of your period of absence and must not be conditional on a future event which is out of your control. The example given is of someone whose home is repossessed whilst she is staying with her brother. She does intend to return if the bank withdraws the possession order. The DWP would consider this intention to be qualified as it depends on the decision of the bank and the award of housing costs would be stopped from the date her home was repossessed.
Temporary absences from home for up to 52 weeks.
You will be awarded housing costs for up to 52 weeks of absence providing you intend to return to your home and your home has not been let to another person and you are:
Housing costs that won't be paid for.
You won't be awarded costs for any additional loans that you took out whilst you or your partner were unemployed and entitled to either income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance or pension credit.You won't be awarded costs for things that should be covered by housing benefit.
