Closed petition: Include children not living with one parent in all benefits and housing claims

Closed on 7 April 2026

When applying for Universal Credit or Social Housing, you are only allowed to declare children that permanently reside with you. The government should amend the law to allow children that visit on a regular basis to be included in these calculations.

Single people not living with their children cannot include children who stay with them regularly. This means housing allowance is capped at a 1 bed property, and any housing request to the local authority would also allow just 1 bedroom. This may have a negative effect on any parent who wants to ensure their children have adequate space to stay, and allow the parent to be able to afford to see them and feed them.