We are in the process of stating to convert our double garage into a self contained annexe for our son who has autism. he is now 36 years old and parents are not gettingny younger... There will be additional construction to enlarge the garage.
The main purpose is for him to get use to living on his own with carers going in and away from the family and still in the area he is use to. He has many complex needs and needs to be in his own home. This has been addressed by th local authority and medical practinioners. (which helped with the plans being passed)
The plans have been passed with it belonging to the main residence where we the family live, as long as it does not have a seperate address, the garage is not adjacent to the main house and will have its own front door.
Does anyone know if he is entitiled to housing benefit and can we charge him rent. (to recover some of the funds we have had to find to convert the garage) Will he get help with his electricity etc...
He is on high PIP and ESa and needs 24 hour support.
Obviously we (his family) will have to fund for conversion as I do not think he will qualify for a grant.
Does anyone have any of this information.
Written by
Lucacielle
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hi. I believe you should get a council tax rebate on the annexe but you probably know that. As to rent we rent a flat near us to our daughter for the same reason as you - getting used to living alone but with support and us nearby. Generally they don’t approve rentals to direct relatives but were willing to discuss things in our daughters case. We had to prove that the property is part of a rent portfolio i.e. that we have other rentals and that it is let at a commercial rent and with an assured tenancy arrangement in place. I’d start by speaking to the council and see what their criteria are for housing benefit.
Thank you for your help. I was just wondering as the annexe will be part of the property we own under the same address. I will start with the council and maybe get some legal advice too. Many thanks
We moved to a house with an annexe so that our daughter could live with us but “separate.” She has autism and a moderate LD & needs 24 hour care support.
As she was essentially living in the same house (like you, not with a separate address) she was not entitled to claim Housing Benefit. Also the utilities were not on a separate meters.
She was only able to claim ESA & PIP, and it was agreed that it was appropriate for her to pay something towards utility bills, however it was more of a token gesture rather than the actual cost due to the limited funds of her benefits.
It would be worth contacting your local council to see if any grants are available for adaptations that are being made specifically for your son’s needs. However, I know locally you would have to apply in advance of any works being done & they cannot be claimed retrospectively. You would also need to repay any grants if you sold the property within a certain timescale.
What is so frustrating is the only reason we moved was because of here was no appropriate provision in our county for our daughter & we were essentially solving a social care “problem” at our expense, but this is never recognised in terms of funding from adult social care or the benefits system.
In 2001 we built an annexe for our daughter. As we live in a bungalow we were not entitled to any financial help, despite the fact that her rent was being paid by the Council in a flat, which she couldn't manage in (hence us building the annexe). Also, we were told we couldn't charge her rent as we were her parents. Now, we are looking into an Extra Care Anchor home as we struggle to cope now that we are much older. I hope Bedford Council is better than Slough!! Good luck
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