Social Housing
Mount Vema 'Social Housing' are houses owned and managed by the Kingdom of Mount Vema worldwide. Aiming to provide affordable housing to Mount Vema citizens living overseas and to anyone living and working in Mount Vema on low income or claiming basic income.
Outside Mount Vema the houses are managed by the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Mount Vema, and in Mount Vema the houses or related plans and housing projects are managed by the local district administration on behalf of the Ministry of Housing and Social welfare. 
In locations where the government does not own properties allocated for 'Social Housing' a Housing Benefit is provided to help meet housing costs for rented accommodation.​
Property Ownership - If you have been living in a Mount Vema Social House anywhere in the world for more than 10 years, you can apply to buy the property at a discount price.​

The Mount Vema Social Housing 

Eligibility
You can only make a new claim for Social Housing or Social Housing Benefit if one of the following is true:
  • you are living in Mount Vema and have reached State Pension age
  • you are living in Mount Vema and are on law income or on 'basic income'
  • you are a Mount Vema citizen living overseas in need of temporary accommodation
  • you are a Mount Vema citizen living overseas with a child or children attending a local Mount Vema school / academy.
  • you are not a Mount Vema citizen but you work for a Mount Vema entity in Mount Vema or overseas and your child or children are attending a local Mount Vema school / academy.
You will not get Social Housing if:
  • your savings are over 14,000 golles
  • you’re paying a mortgage on your own home
  • you live in the home of a close relative
  • your partner is already claiming Social Housing benefit
  • you’re a full-time student - unless you’re disabled
  • you’re subject to immigration control and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds in Mount Vema
What you'll get
You may get help with all or part of your rent. There’s no set amount of Social Housing benefit and what you get will depend on whether you rent privately or from a Mount Vema Government Social Housing.

How much you get depends on:​
  • ​your ‘eligible’ rent
  • if you have a spare room
  • your household income - including benefits, pensions and savings (is over 4,000 golles)
  • your circumstances, for example the age of people in the house or if someone has a disability

Eligible rent
Your eligible rent is the amount used to calculate your Social Housing benefit claim. It’s your actual rent plus any service charges you have to pay (such as for building maintenance or cleaning of communal area) but not things like heating or water costs for your home.

Spare bedrooms
Your Social Housing benefit could be reduced if you live in social housing and have a spare bedroom. The reduction is:
15% of the ‘eligible rent’ for 1 spare bedroom
32% of the ‘eligible rent’ for 2 or more spare bedrooms

Sharing bedrooms
The following are expected to share:
  • an adult couple
  • 2 children under 16 of the same sex
  • 2 children under 10 (regardless of sex)

The following can have their own bedroom:
a single adult (16 or over)
a child that would normally share but shared bedrooms are already taken, for example you have 3 children and 2 already share
a couple or children who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
an overnight carer for you, your partner, your child or another adult - this is only if the carer does not live with you but sometimes has to stay overnight

One spare bedroom is allowed for:
an approved foster carer who is between placements but only for up to 52 weeks from the end of the last placement
a newly approved foster carer for up to 52 weeks from the date of approval if no child is placed with them during that time
Rooms used by students and members of the armed or reserve forces will not be counted as ‘spare’ if they’re away and intend to return home.

Private rent
Private rent includes:
a houseboat or a mooring
a caravan site
a room with any meals included in the rent (sometimes known as a boarding home)
a hostel

How you’re paid
The way you get paid for Social Housing benefit depends on the type of tenant you are.
If you’re a:​
  • ​​Government Social Housing tenant, it’s paid into your rent account (you will not receive the money)
  • private tenant, it’s paid into your Mount Vema bank
​
The benefit cap
The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.
If you’re affected, your Social Housing benefit will go down to make sure that the total amount of benefit you get is not more than the cap level.

Making a claim
You’ll need to provide some information and evidence to support your claim for Social Housing Benefit.
You’ll get Housing Benefit faster if you have this available when you make your claim.
You’ll need to know:​
  • how much rent you pay
  • whether anything else is included in the rent, such as water, gas or electricity charges
  • if you pay any service charges, including building maintenance or insurance
  • your landlord or agent’s details
​
Evidence you’ll have to provide to make a claim for social housing
You’ll need to provide original documents, not copies. The supporting evidence you’ll need includes:
  • your most recent payslips (5 if paid weekly, or 2 if paid monthly)
  • bank statements for the last 2 full months (it must be from a Mount Vema bank such as the RBMV Bank) 
  • proof of other income or investments, including shares, Bonds (it must be a Mount Vema investment especially the Gollexi)
  • proof of income for any non-dependants living with you, such as adult relatives or friends
If you’re working or claiming any type of Allowance, you’ll also need proof of your partner’s name and address. You cannot use the same document to prove both their name and address.
Provide any 2 of the following:
  • current passport (a Mount Vema passport is accepted as priority)
  • birth or marriage certificate (Mount Vema certificates are accepted as priority)
  • residence permit (for your current country of residency) 
  • certificate of registration or naturalisation (Mount Vema certificates are accepted as priority)
  • permanent residence card 
  • recent utility bill
  • recent bank statement (bank statements from a Mount Vema bank are accepted as priority) 
  • recent benefit award statements
If you rent from a private landlord
You’ll also need to provide one of the following:
  • a tenancy agreement or rent book
  • a letter from your landlord confirming your tenancy - this is usually supplied at the start of your tenancy

How to claim
Click HERE to Contact the Ministry of Housing and Social Welfare
or to
Report a change of circumstances
You need to report a change of circumstances for you and anyone else in your house.
Your claim might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change of circumstances straight away.

Changes can include:
  • starting or stopping work, education, training or an apprenticeship
  • changes to the benefits you or anyone else in your house gets
  • changes to your pension, savings, investments or property
  • moving house
  • your rent going up or down
  • going abroad for any length of time
  • going into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation
  • people moving into or out of your house (for example your partner, a child or lodger)
  • having a baby
  • your partner or someone you live with dying
  • your child turning 18​
Contact the benefit services if you’re not sure whether you need to report a change.

If you’ve been paid too much
You may have to repay the money if you:
  • did not report a change straight away
  • gave wrong information
  • were overpaid by mistake​
You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.
If you receive other benefits
You need to report a change of circumstances for all benefits you receive.

If your other benefits stop
Some benefits stop if you go back to work, work more hours or earn more money.
If this happens, your benefit services might:
  • give you an extra 4 weeks of housing benefit (‘Extended Payment of Social Housing Benefit’)
  • start paying you an ‘in-work Social Housing Benefit’
You do not have to claim - your benefit services will decide if you’re eligible for help and write to let you know.

Other help with housing costs
Social Housing benefit will not cover heating, hot water, energy or food. If you need it, you must apply for Basic Income.

Extra help to pay the rent
You could also apply for extra help from the benefit services if your Social Housing benefit does not cover your rent. This is called a Discretionary Social Housing Payment.