Can I claim social housing?

[Aroon123]

Hello

My query is the following,
My wife has recently got her FLR M visa extended for 2 1/2 years - We both work earning £900 each per month after tax. We both have a 2 year old British born child together.
I am a British Citizen my wife is a Moroccan Citizen.

Right now we are living in our family home and my parents want me to move out, I cant afford to pay private rent due to my low income. I wanted to know if there is any possibility for me to claim housing benefit on my own information as my wife has no access to public funds? Can it possible for me to apply for housing benefit and she can live with me also?

[Casa]

You can only be awarded Social Housing as a single person with one child, as your wife can't be considered in the calculation for points. The Council as the landlords would have to consent to her living in the property and it will depend on the size of the accommodation provided.

[Aroon123]

Thanks Casa for your reply

I wanted to know would this effect the maintenance requirement on her future spouse visa application if it was social housing? if i was to make a single claim.

[Casa]

No affect if you are awarded Social Housing only as a single person with a child. You must make the local authority aware that your wife has no recourse to Public funds.
Are you aware that you can claim Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits in JOINT NAMES & Child Benefit in your name only, without it affecting your wife's visa applications?

[Aroon123]

Hello Casa

Thanks so much for the information you are providing this is very valuable at this time for me.
I was not aware that I could claim tax credits, in joint names, I was under the impression that tax credits was classified as a public fund and my wife visa condition is 'no resource to public funds'.

I will make a claim for this as our salary are both low,

I will proceed with the housing benefit claim also, I just wanted to ask this question which is bugging me, our combined salary is £21,600 per year. If I did get housing benefit on mine and my childs name only, cant the home office not reject my wife's application based on maintenance and accommodation saying that i need access to public fund help in order to have accommodation for my wife to have a place to stay?
I hope I made sense.
Thanks again.

[CR001]

You are clearly under the new FLR(M) rules, requiring a minimum income threshold. There is no maintenance/accommodation requirement if you are under the new rules for your spouse.

You will only be granted the level of HB that you qualify for as a single+child claimant, which on your combined salary, won't likely be that much anyway.

Check the benefit calculator below to see what your entitlement to claim might be.

http://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

Tax credits in JOINT names is not an issue for your spouse's visa.

[Aroon123]

Thank you very much for all the information provided.

[Aroon123]

Dear Moderator

Just a question on the working tax credit rule,

its says :

You’re from Algeria, Morocco, San Marino or Tunisia

You can’t get Working Tax Credit.

My wife is Moroccan and im a British Citizen can i not make the application jointly?

[Casa]

Your wife can't get WTC in her name, but you need to submit the application in JOINT NAMES. It may appear strange, but that's the acceptable way to claim.

[Aroon123]

Thanks Casa for the information