gillyknits, I only just saw this, and feel for the couple you are talking about. We have recently found to our cost that we are unable to move home because we committed the sin of being a mixed age couple. For us to move to be closer to our daughter, we will lose £300 in income (as housing benefit), because we committed the mortal sin of my being under retirement age (which, by the way has had the goal post moved from 60 to 67 in my case).
Had we moved, we would have saved the government £200 in the difference in rent allowance, £400 in support and care that I wouldn't need, and the subsidy in childcare costs no longer needed for the after school and holiday club care costs for our grandson.
If someone can come up with any logic in this situation, can they let me know?
Back to your family members, there is a site called 'entitled to' , which will enable them to see exactly what they might be able to claim. It was recommended to us by a housing association benefits advisor, and will tell them exactly what they can claim and from where.
Part of the problem will of course be that benefits are to enable the minimum safe standard of living, so there is likely to be a wide gap between how they consider they should be able to live and how the government considers their means of survival should be (on benefits, they won't be able to afford new clothes, (jumble sale and charity shops only), no sky, sports channels etc., no iPhones, no smoking, drinking, going out for meals etc, no hobbies if they cost money, no holidays, day trips etc., limited heating........need I go on?
You will of course hear about people on benefits doing all of these things, but it's usually at the cost of their rent or mortgage, and eventually the pack of cards comes tumbling home.
We are lucky (?), as I'm quite severely disabled, so are allowed extra money, but we are still very careful, we don't smoke, drink, have the latest or even old smart phones. We go to concerts in churches, for long walks and for camping holidays (yes in a tent). Our car is not flash, and we have no debts. But to visit family we have to work out if we can afford to.
What I'm saying is that it's possible that your relatives will have to rethink their living standards.
