`Homeshare Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 `Homeshare Frequently Asked Questions 1. How could a Homesharer help me? 2. Would I suit a Homeshare arrangement? 3. How long would the Homesharer stay? 4. What type of accommodation is offered? 5. How much does it cost? 6. What am I paying for and how is the money spent? 7. Who manages the arrangement? 8. Who do I contact if I need advice? 9. How long will it take to set up a Homeshare arrangement? 10. Do I need to do anything to alter my home to have a Homesharer? 11. What about Insurance? 12. How long does a match last? 13. If I find someone to Homeshare myself, can they register on the scheme and you run the checks needed? 14. What happens if I live in accommodation designed for people over a certain age (over 50 or 60)? 15. Is there an upper or lower age limit to being a Homesharer? 16. What happens if I want to take a holiday or odd days off? 17. What if I don t get on with the person after we are living together? 18. Would a Homeshare agreement impact on my ability to release equity from my property? 19. What happens if a householder can be deemed to lack capacity due to a disability or mental illness? 20. If I had my adult son living with me, what checks and references should be taken up on the son? 1

2 21. If a Homeshare match has been in place for some time and my needs increase to include 'Personal Care' can I give a direct payment to the Homesharer to provide this support? 22. Will Homeshare affect my single person's council tax rebate? 23. Will a Homeshare arrangement affect the tax payable by me or the Homesharer? 24. Will the Homeshare arrangement affect my 'means tested" benefits? 25. What happens if I am entitled to a free TV licence because I am over 75 years of age, and I have a younger Homesharer come to live with me? 26. What happens if I am a full-time student and am exempt from paying Council Tax? 1. How could a Homesharer help me? As a Householder you may have developed some support needs, be feeling anxious about living alone or feeling isolated. Homesharing is a great way to find the help you need to stay in your home longer and regain some independence. If you feel vulnerable living by yourself, their presence will add to the sense of security at home. In exchange for accommodation at your house, the Homesharer will come to an Agreement with you, which is put together with and supported by the Homeshare Supervisor. The Agreement lays down the general and specific expectations that you both may have, for example a Homesharer may agree to help you with daily tasks, like shopping, light cleaning, walking the dog, perhaps gardening. You also discuss together any House Rules. A clear Agreement means a happy Homeshare. 2. Would I suit a Homeshare arrangement? Those Homesharing most suits, are those with a need for basic assistance at home. Those with medical needs will not benefit from having a Homesharer and are advised to seek professional medical assistance and/or speak to someone at Crossroads Care ESBH. Some Householders have a mixture of both professional medical help and a Homesharer caters to their needs. 3. How long would the Homesharer stay? Most arrangements are for a Homesharer stay for at least 6 months after the initial 1 month trial, and that 1 month's notice is given on both sides before the arrangement is ended. This can be shorter if that is part of the Agreement. 4. What type of accommodation is offered? 2

3 Householders must provide as a minimum a room with a bed (single or double). Bed linen for that bed is usually provided. A chest of drawers and wardrobe or similar.the Homesharer occupies the room on a license arrangement. The Householder will respect the Homesharers privacy but reserves the right to access the room if necessary. 5. How much does it cost? A Homesharer with our scheme pays a registration fee of 25, a 100 refundable deposit (once a match is made) and then 195 per month to Crossroads. The Householder pays a fee of 140 per month to Crossroads. Monthly fees are payable once a match has been found and the one month trial starts. We also manage the match on a monthly basis to make sure that everyone remains comfortable with the arrangement and we will actively seek other matches should the current one come to a close. 6. What am I paying for and how is the money spent? Crossroads Care ESBH Homeshare is a charity but we do need to raise sufficient income to meet the costs of operating and developing our provision. Householder and Homesharer fees are an important contribution to our overall income and help towards the cost of set up, initial references and checks and the ongoing support we are able to offer to you. We will provide a reviewing service and will assist and advise with arrangements for extra support, where required and training if appropriate. We will provide information about links to other services, including statutory services if required. As a charity we are a non-profit making organisation. If we do have any surplus funds at the end of the year these are put back into the charity to be used in developing our services 7. Who manages the arrangement? Crossroads Care ESBH is ultimately responsible for managing the arrangement and we are there to help when needed, particularly if serious problems arise between the participants. However we hope that each of the participants in an Arrangement feels confident enough to solve any difficulties between themselves, as they arise. 8. Who do I contact if I need advice? Should you have any general queries you can e mail us: office@brightoncrossroads.org.uk, we will aim to answer within 24 hours. Alternatively if there is a problem of an urgent nature, please call us on Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. 9. How long will it take to set up a Homeshare arrangement? 3

4 Plan on anywhere from several weeks to two months. If we have someone on the list who is a good match, the process will be faster. You can help speed things up if you make sure referees are ready to respond to our enquiries. 10. How long does a match last? It will vary. Some have lasted years, others for months. Some sharers may be just looking for shorter term accommodation until they are on their feet in the city. We are aware that family situations and health can change and as a result living arrangements can alter. 11. What about Insurance? It is vital that the householder has up to date property and contents insurance and those insurers should be made aware of the Homeshare arrangement. A notice of interest can be written onto their insurance documents. The Homesharere may want to take out separate insurance for specific items. If any difficultiesarise a company called Ellis Bates can be helpful and fully understand how Homeshare works. 12. Do I need to do anything to alter my home to have a Homesharer? No, however a Householder must think about the way they look after their home, as they are responsible for making their home safe for the Homesharere. An annual gas safety check is required, which means any gas boilers or appliances such as cookers need an annual gas check and safety certificate. Smoke alarms should be fitted and working and you, a relative or friend should have looked at general safety for yourself or anyone staying in your home. The electrical system and appliances should be safe and we can arrange checks if you are unsure. We have a safety checklist which we will carry out once it is agreed that the home is suitable for Homeshare, 13. If I find someone to Homeshare myself, can they register on the scheme and you run the checks needed? Yes. As long as they agree to the same procedures as any other applicant, we are happy for you to assist us with finding a Homesharer. 14. Is there an age limit to being a Homesharer? Homeshare programmes around the world have recognised that Homesharers need to have the maturity and lifestyle to commit fully to the support of the Householder and to the Homesharer role. We seek Homesharers who are 24 years old or older, but recognise that age is not the only indicator of an individual s maturity. Older Homesharers can offer a great deal to a Homeshare arrangement. If you are both retired, consideration needs to be given to your day time routines and how they will fit around each other. 4

5 15. What happens if I live in accommodation designed for people over a certain age (over 50 or 60)? It's important that you research the rules and restrictions that relate to the older resident and whether these are legally enforceable or simply local guidelines. If there are legal restrictions, meaning that a younger person cannot live in the property, then you will only be able to organise a Homeshare with a person of the right age. However, if the age restrictions are merely a local target or rule, you may be able to gain permission from your Landlord/managing agent for a younger Homesharer to move in. 16. What happens if I want to take a holiday or odd days off? The Homeshare agreement is not a contract; however the Homesharer does take responsibility to honour the Agreement, particularly if one of the agreed expectations of the householder is to have someone to stay the night for perceived safety reasons. Most Homesharers agree to sleep 5/6 nights in the house. Any issue relating to days away or holiday time must be in consultation and agreement with the householder, with enough advance notice for them to be able to make other arrangements. 17. What if I don t get on with the person after we are living together? The key to a successful homesharing is the match. It must ensure that the needs of both parties are met and that there is not an imbalance. The Homeshare arrangement is not a job contract but a way to help each other, with an agreement where two people share their lives for a period, in order to improve quality. This is the reason for the trial period. It gives you some real experience together before a definite decision is made. Even after the agreement is signed you can terminate the arrangement by giving 30 days notice to the other person. BUT don t give up too easily. Sometimes all that is needed is some honest communication and clear statements of your needs. The Crossroads Coordinator is available to meet with both parties to help smooth out any worries. 18. Would a Homeshare agreement impact on my ability to release equity from my property? Equity release scheme providers have taken a view that a Homeowner/Householder can release the equity in their home if they have a Homesharer living with them. However: 1: The Equity Release provider will require that the Homesharer signs a waiver of interest. If you have concerns about this, you are advised to inform the Equity Release provider of your intention to enter into a Homeshare arrangement. 5

6 2: Cross Roads Care ESBH will modify the Homeshare agreement to include provisions in the event of you, the Householder, leaving the property, moving into long-term care or passing away. In the event of this happening all lenders will allow between 6 and 18 months for the property to be sold. They liaise with the executor of the Will to coordinate the sale. If you want to plan in advance to give the Homesharer time to move, you should inform your executor/solicitor of your wishes. 19. What happens if the Householder can be deemed to lack capacity due to a disability or mental illness? The Householder cannot enter into a Homeshare agreement (and the License Agreement within it) unless they have the mental capacity to do so with support as necessary. If they don't have the mental capacity it would be appropriate for someone else to engage in the process and to sign the Homeshare agreement on their behalf, but only if they have 'Power of Attorney' over their affairs. If they don't have power of attorney, they could act on the Householders behalf by obtaining a 'Short Order' which would enable them to act on the Householders behalf on matters concerning the Homeshare agreement only, and none of the Householders other life aspects. If a person does have Enduring Power of Attorney it must be registered with the Court before they can make decisions on the Householders behalf. 20. If I had my adult son living with me, what checks and references should be taken up on him for the sake of the incoming Homesharer? Any adult, resident of the Householder's home, should be asked to provide two professional references. This is simply to provide some background information and to check their character. DBS/CRB checks cannot be legally made on other adult residents of the household. Therefore it is important to make sure that the Homesharer is aware that there is another adult resident in the home that references have been taken up, but that no Disclosure checks have been conducted. 21. If my Homeshare match has been in place for some time and my needs increase to include 'Personal Care', can I use a Direct Payment to the Homesharer to provide this support? You would be legally entitled to use your Direct Payment to employ the Homesharer to provide personal care and you would need to use the Direct Payment to employ the Homesharer directly. This would create numerous complications concerning employment law, national minimum wages and would further complicate the Homeshare agreement. Therefore it is inadvisable to allow Homesharers to provide you with personal care. 22. Will Homeshare affect my single person's council tax rebate? 6

7 Liability for council tax is governed by the Council Tax Regulations 1992 and people living alone are able to claim a 'single person' discount. There are a number of categories of people who are disregarded for the purposes of council tax. Homesharers who are youth trainees, apprentices, students or student nurses will be disregarded for the purposes of council tax and you will not in those circumstances lose your single person discount. In this situation you should obtain confirmation from the council tax office that the Homesharer will be disregarded for the purposes of council tax and that you will not lose your single person discount. Householders with Homesharers who are not disregarded for the purpose of Council Tax, will lose their single person discount. They will however be entitled to the second adult rebate as long as the Homesharer is not paying rent. The Housing Benefit Strategy Division has confirmed that: 'A person is entitled to the second adult rebate if they are a resident of the property, are liable to council tax on that property and if any other resident does not pay them rent to live in that property'. 23. Will a Homeshare arrangement affect the tax payable by me or the Homesharer? There was concern that Her Majesty's Revenue and Custom (HMRC) might regard: - The accommodation provided to the Homesharer or the support provided to you as 'Taxable Income'. - The proportion of the accommodation occupied by the Homesharer as accommodation used for business purposes when the Householder sells their property (and therefore liable for Capital Gains Tax). HMRC has however confirmed that: They will not treat provision of accommodation or of support as taxable income. There will be no liability for capital gains tax on any profit from the sale of the Householder's home. Cross Roads Care ESBH Homesharing agreement clarifies that the Homesharer occupies their room under a license arrangement and that you the Householder has access to their room as and when required. 24. Will a Homesharer arrangement affect my 'means tested' benefits? Where you or the Homesharer is receiving means tested benefits, the concern is whether the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) will treat the accommodation provided to the Homesharer or the support provided to you as notional income for the purposes of benefits. This is a complicated issue as there are a number of different variables, i.e. you and/or the Homesharer may be claiming one or more of a number or different benefits. However there are some very clear areas 7

8 The support provided by the Homesharer may be treated as 'notional income' as far as you are concerned and may affect any means tested benefit you receive. If the Homesharer has previously been claiming Housing benefit, then they will lose all or most of the benefit payment. Having free accommodation is seen as 'income in kind' for the Homesharer and is disregarded for the purposes of means tested benefits. If you are claiming Housing benefits, the Homesharer will be seen as a 'Non Dependent' for the purposes of this benefit. If the Homesharer receives Severe Disability Premium: the benefits rule means that the Homesharer could lose their entitlement to SDP if they move in to live with another person. You will need to contact your local benefits advisor if you think this affects you. 25. What happens if I am entitled to a free TV license because I am over 75, and I have a younger Homesharer come to live with me? The TV Licensing authority confirms that: If someone is aged 75 or over, they are entitled to a free 'Over 75 TV License for their principal resident, even if they live with younger relatives or friends and this includes a younger Homesharer. If they are aged 74 and will turn 75 before their next TV license is due to expire, they qualify to buy a Short Term License. This will cover their principal residence until their 75th birthday, when they will be entitled to a free Over 75 TV license. With a Short Term TV License, they need only pay for the number of months between the date of their current license expiring and their birthday. 26. What happens if I am a full-time student and I am exempt from paying Council Tax? If you are a full time student, you will be exempt from paying Council Tax. If a Homesharer moves into the property and they are also a student, or exempt from Council Tax for another reason, then no one in the household will pay Council Tax. If however, the Homesharer is not exempt, then Council Tax must be paid. NOTE: This needs to go onto the web site with each question, once clicked, will go straight to the answer. 8