# Rent-a-room affecting Jobseekers Allowance?



## JoannaS (17 Sep 2008)

I lost my job at the beginning June and started claiming jobseekers allowance. I lived alone before but at the start of July I got someone in to stay in the spare room to help me to pay the mortgage.
I didnt have a tenant in June when I applied for the JA, but now I am beginning to worry that the rent that I am getting should affect my means test.

Can anyone tell me how my means would have been calculated and whether this should have an effect? I have tried to find this out online but no luck yet..

I make a mortgage payment of 970e per month (after TRS), plus 130e per month of management fees to set aside.
Im renting the room for 475e per month

thanks


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## bacchus (17 Sep 2008)

Some info here

Rent under rent-a-room scheme is a cash income that is taken into account in the mean test AFAIK.


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## JoannaS (17 Sep 2008)

Thanks Bacchus,

Ive had a look at this and a few other similar pages but they seem a bit hard to make out, they seem to imply that it is the profit from the room that is taken into account (and that some allowance would be made for costs to reduce this), but then also that the capital value of the unused part of my home should be used..

Im finding it quite confusing! Has anyone here applied for jobseekers allowance while renting out a room?


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## gipimann (17 Sep 2008)

From the welfare site on Means Assessment for Jobseeker's Allowance:

e) Property partly occupied by the claimant.
Any cash income from the portion of a house that is not personally used or enjoyed, is assessable against the claimant as income.

If a portion of the house is being let or is being used for business purposes the following should apply. Deductions from profits should be allowed in respect of ground rent and mortgage interest in proportion to the area used for business purposes. If rooms are let furnished 5% of the gross amount received are allowed for wear and tear and 15% of the gross receipts are allowed for voids (i.e. periods when accommodation vacant between lettings).


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## JoannaS (17 Sep 2008)

Would I be right to say that my rent of 475 minus 5% for wear and tear and minus 15% for voids would make 380e profit, minus half of the interest I pay on my mortgage would leave 10e to be assessed?

Is it worth my while to go to the welfare office about this? I dont want to cause hassle for myself as i cant afford to lose my payment if they decide to reassess me, but then could cause a problem for me at a future stage?


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