LHA when bills aren't included in the rent

Ryse
Ryse Posts: 21 Forumite
in Benefits & tax credits
Say I am eligible for £60 LHA and the rent is £50, with bills coming to £10. How much LHA would I be entitled to? If LHA covers bills even when it is excluded from the rent, how does the council know how much to give?

Comments

  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,946 Forumite
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    https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/housing_benefit/what_is_local_housing_allowance_lha
  • Ryse
    Ryse Posts: 21 Forumite
    poppy12345 wrote: »
    https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/housing_benefit/what_is_local_housing_allowance_lha

    Does not contain the answer.
  • poppy12345
    poppy12345 Posts: 17,946 Forumite
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    LHA depends on circumstances. Whether you're single, have children, of you work etc. Bills don't come under LHA. To find the rates for you area you'll need to put your postcode into this link.
    https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx
  • Ryse
    Ryse Posts: 21 Forumite
    poppy12345 wrote: »
    LHA depends on circumstances. Whether you're single, have children, of you work etc. Bills don't come under LHA. To find the rates for you area you'll need to put your postcode into this link.
    https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

    Yes I know it depends on circumstance, I am not asking about how circumstance influences LHA. Saying bills don't come under LHA is not true, as I know for a fact that if bills are included in the rent LHA covers it. I want to know what happens if bills are separate.
  • Ames
    Ames Posts: 18,459 Forumite
    If bills are seperate then LHA only covers rent. It doesn't give an extra amount for bills.

    If rent is £60 and bills come to £10, you get £60. There are income replacement benefits (JSA/ESA/UC) that are to pay bills.
    Unless I say otherwise 'you' means the general you not you specifically.
  • Ryse
    Ryse Posts: 21 Forumite
    Ames wrote: »
    If bills are seperate then LHA only covers rent. It doesn't give an extra amount for bills.

    If rent is £60 and bills come to £10, you get £60. There are income replacement benefits (JSA/ESA/UC) that are to pay bills.

    So in that circumstance if the highest amount of LHA is £60, and the rent is £60 and bills are £10, would that mean I would only get £10? That seems a bit unfair, as if the landlord did include bills in the rent then I would be entitled to £70.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,323 Forumite
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    edited 15 November 2017 at 12:33AM
    No you wouldn't. When applying for LHA you are asked if service charges, heating and water are included in the rent, what amounts are charged and you would find that the LHA paid would be a reduced amount because 'bills' are included.

    You seem to be looking at this in a slightly skewed way. If your rent is £60 and bills £10, you would get £60 not £10 in LHA. Other benefits are supposed to cover bills, food, travel etc.

    It is taken as a given that the individual applying for LHA is responsible for their bills i.e. heating, water etc.

    It has been like that for decades. I had a flat that came with heating and listed the amount for heating. I had to pay the heating out of my money/benefits, HB (as it was then) just covered the rent portion.

    If your friends are getting heating as well, they have not filled in the forms properly or the LL is not specifying how much of the rent covers heating etc. Perhaps you need to find a similar arrangement and exclude anywhere with a meter or a specified amount for heating?
  • Ryse
    Ryse Posts: 21 Forumite
    edited 15 November 2017 at 12:50AM
    deannatrois wrote: »
    No you wouldn't. When applying for LHA you are asked if service charges, heating and water are included in the rent, what amounts are charged and you would find that the LHA paid would be a reduced amount because 'bills' are included.

    You seem to be looking at this in a slightly skewed way. If your rent is £60 and bills £10, you would get £60 not £10 in LHA. Other benefits are supposed to cover bills, food, travel etc.

    It is taken as a given that the individual applying for LHA is responsible for their bills i.e. heating, water etc.

    It has been like that for decades. I had a flat that came with heating. I had to pay the heating out of my money/benefits, HB (as it was then) just covered the rent portion.

    If your friends are getting heating as well, they have not filled in the forms properly.

    I meant to write £60 not £10, mixed them up. Thanks your answer clears things up. All the past threads I've read say that if utility bills are included, there is no deductions to LHA. Have a look at this thread.
  • Xbigman
    Xbigman Posts: 3,884 Forumite
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    The thread you are referencing is from 2010.



    Darren
    Xbigman's guide to a happy life.

    Eat properly
    Sleep properly
    Save some money
  • Ryse
    Ryse Posts: 21 Forumite
    Just checked with 2 councils, bills are not included even if it is included in the rent. Must have been old information in the other thread.
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