Can I Claim My Benifits Living On A Campsite Temporaly Whilst Looking For A Flat.

[6Robin0]

We are living on a campsite whilst trying to rent somewhere to live. They say you cannot have post sent to site but you may have parcels sent to site. We have to vacate for one month in twelve so we are not resident there. Being pensioners how do we get our pensions and benifits?

[albaqwerty]

How do you get them now?
I thought all benefits were paid into either a post office or bank account?
I would strongly urge you to get either as soon as possible.

[6Robin0]

Correct but confirmation letters have to be sent to address you are residing at. At the moment the benifits are still at our previous address which put us in a situation which we are breaking the law. By rights we should give our new address now but for short period we can collect any letters from old address. We have been told if we have letters sent to site we will be asked to leave. We are entitled to housing benefit but not claiming it and using savings to pay rent. We are not in this situation by choice.

[Mamyalynne]

I realise you are not on the streets but read here and perhaps contact Shelter or the office dealing with your benefits for advice re a temp postal address.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness/articles/get_practical_help_if_youre_on_the_streets/claiming_benefits_when_homeless

[Buenchico]

A few suggestions:

1. Get yourself a PO Box and collect your mail from the local delivery office. It will cost you £277.50 for a year (or £165.00 for 6 months or £34.50 per month, with a minimum 3-month contract).

2. Speak to local independent shop owners (such as at a corner shop which you use regularly) and ask if you they can provide you with a mailing address and, if so, what they'll charge you for doing so.

3. Ask a friend or relative if you can have your mail sent to their address.

4. Ask other long-term residents on the campsite how they get around the problem.

[sherrardk]

Have you asked them why you can get parcels but not post? Where’s the rest of your post going?

[barry1010]

Sherry, Royal Mail won’t deliver mail but Amazon and couriers will deliver parcels

[Buenchico]

^^^ As I read it, Barry, it's not because Royal Mail won't deliver to addresses on the site but because the site owners won't permit it. That's almost certainly because they've only got planning permission for 'non-residential' units (which would explain why 6Robin0 has to vacate his temporary home for one month of the year).

If the local authority becomes aware that people on the site are having 'regular' mail delivered there, they could taking planning enforcement action against the site owners. However an occasional delivery from, say, Amazon is far less likely to be a cause for concern.

A large non-residential site not far from me, here in Suffolk, has recently been subject to enforcement action after the local authority became aware that many people on the site were living there permanently. The site owners where 6Robin0 is living are clearly trying to avoid similar problems.

[Jackdaw33]

That goes some way to explaining it, Chico. I know of a couple who own outright two caravans on a holiday resort near me. They are not allowed to receive mail and the last I heard was that they had to vacate the site for 6 weeks of the year. All very inconvenient for the residents, I would have thought.

[Buenchico]

^^^ The problems up the road from me have been going on for two years now, with no real resolution
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/mid-suffolk-district-council-warns-stonham-barns-residents-1-6549621
and with some claiming that they've been left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/stonham-barns-lodge-buyer-loses-20k-1-6560278

It's easy to understand why the site owners where 6Robin0 lives are keen to avoid such problems!

[bednobs]

How often do they have to write to you?