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I need some help with this

31, male, no kids, still living at home, no job, getting income based jobseekers allowance.

My life is really stifled. I (obviously) need to move out.

I don't understand housing benefit and what they will pay for me until I get a job. I'm getting mixed signals and can't understand the government websites properly.

I'm registered on the local council website for property vacancies and I was offered one last week, a bedsit. It was extremely small and really depressing, put me off...Living. Anyway, I didn't want to take that so refused it. The rent and charges came to about £90 a week. They were gonna give me it, I think.

After this, I saw a great 1 bedroom flat on Gumtree, looked bigger and better than the council one and I asked them about it and they said something like, 'since I'm under 35 I won't be able to get full housing benefit' and so couldn't afford the place...Yet it was about £82 a week - It was cheaper than the council place.

Is something different because this is a private landlord?

How much will I really get?

If no one can tell me, who do I go and see?

Thanks..

Comments

  • paddedjohn
    paddedjohn Posts: 7,512
    First Anniversary
    Forumite
    If you are single and under 35 and rent privately you will get the local housing allowance in the form of the shared accomodation rate for your area. This means you will be entitled to enough money to enable you to rent a room in a shared house. If this amount doesnt cover the rent on the place youve seen then you will have to make it up yourself
    Be Alert..........Britain needs lerts.
  • miduck
    miduck Posts: 1,800 Forumite
    Yes, with private rentals you will only receive the shared rate of LHA - you can find out this figure on your local authority website.

    In social housing, you will be eligible for full HB for a studio or one bedroom property.
  • Ah, I get it now. Thanks both.

    I found a site that explains it better than others.

    Can't give the link because I'm a new member so here's a copy-paste for the Tyne and Wear area:
    There is a pending change coming in the form of a rise of the shared room rate age limit from 25 to 35.

    Originally this change was due to come into force in April 2012, however Ministers have decided that the change should be brought forward to take effect from January 2012.

    This means that single claimants under age 35 making a claim on or after 1st January 2012 will be entitled to the shared room rate (currently £58.00 per week) rather than the one bedroom rate (currently £91.15 per week).
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344
    First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    It's a pity that Tyne and Wear couldn't be bothered to notice that the year after 2012 is actually 2013 (twice in the short extract given)!
  • zzzLazyDaisy
    zzzLazyDaisy Posts: 12,497
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    agrinnall wrote: »
    It's a pity that Tyne and Wear couldn't be bothered to notice that the year after 2012 is actually 2013 (twice in the short extract given)!

    I think you may have misread the quote. The change happened in January 2012.
    I'm a retired employment solicitor. Hopefully some of my comments might be useful, but they are only my opinion and not intended as legal advice.
  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344
    First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I think you may have misread the quote. The change happened in January 2012.

    You're right, I thought it had been delayed from April 2012, it seems quite unusual for a government-mandated change to happen earlier than planned. Anyway, apologies to T&W.
  • CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative
    CAB_Wyre_Forest_representative Posts: 117 Organisation Representative
    31, male, no kids, still living at home, no job, getting income based jobseekers allowance.

    My life is really stifled. I (obviously) need to move out.

    I don't understand housing benefit and what they will pay for me until I get a job. I'm getting mixed signals and can't understand the government websites properly.

    I'm registered on the local council website for property vacancies and I was offered one last week, a bedsit. It was extremely small and really depressing, put me off...Living. Anyway, I didn't want to take that so refused it. The rent and charges came to about £90 a week. They were gonna give me it, I think.

    After this, I saw a great 1 bedroom flat on Gumtree, looked bigger and better than the council one and I asked them about it and they said something like, 'since I'm under 35 I won't be able to get full housing benefit' and so couldn't afford the place...Yet it was about £82 a week - It was cheaper than the council place.

    Is something different because this is a private landlord?

    How much will I really get?

    If no one can tell me, who do I go and see?

    Thanks..

    Hello
    If you're the tenant of a private landlord, when you make a new claim for Housing Benefit your local authority will normally calculate how much rent your Housing Benefit can cover using the Local Housing Allowance rules.
    Under the Local Housing Allowance rules, the local authority will limit the maximum amount of Housing Benefit you can get. This is called the standard Local Housing Allowance and has been calculated by a rent officer.
    The Local Housing Allowance is based on rent prices for the area you live in and the number of rooms Housing Benefit rules say are needed for your household. This may not be the same number of rooms you are actually living in. From 1 January 2012, if you're single, under 35, and have no dependent children, your housing benefit is based on the rent for a single room with shared facilities.
    So, in short, you'll need to get your local authority to let you know what the LHA will be in your area for your age group etc.
    Official CAB Representative
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