Are Service Charges Covered By Housing Benefit?

Raveboy

Service charges are paid for by housing benefit if as the DWP website says 'you have to pay them to occupy your home'. Although the website also states service charge doesn't cover features like utiliites bills.
What exactly then does 'you have to pay them...' mean then?

I welcome in advance all replies to this thread and for every reply holding positive weight I will give a 'thanks' too.

zappster1966

"Service charges

Some service charges may be included as part of your eligible rent if: [HB Sch 1]

• you have to pay them to occupy your home
• and the council accepts that the service charges are not excessive
• and they are related to the provision of adequate accommodation.

Service charges you can claim for

Service charges that you have to pay to occupy your home will be counted as part of your eligible rent if they are related to the provision of adequate accommodation.
Examples of service charges that may be included in your eligible rent are:
· children’s play areas
· cleaning and heating of communal areas. These are defined as areas (other than rooms) of common access (including halls and passageways) and rooms of common use in sheltered accommodation
· connection to a radio or television system (except satellite and cable relay systems) in specified circumstances
· other services such as those provided by caretakers which relate to the provision of adequate accommodation.
This list is not exhaustive; other service charges may be included in your eligible rent.
Service charges you cannot claim for

Only service charges that you have to pay to occupy your home will be included in your eligible rent.
Examples of charges that cannot be included in your eligible rent are charges for:

• meals or groceries
• personal laundry (but not a service charge for the use of laundry facilities)
• cleaning of rooms and windows (other than communal areas)
• transport
• leisure items like recreation facilities (but payments for children’s play areas are allowed)
• television rental and licence fee (but the cost of television and radio relay may be allowed)."
• http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/rr2/what/

So, yes, you can get help with service charges though the Housing Benefit system, although it seems vey much up to the discetion of the Council as to what they will and they will not allow.

dmg24

Good to see you back with us Raveboy!

Yep, zappster1966 is spot on - some are included, some aren't. From the list you have given, a deduction would definitely be made for meals and utilities, and the others would depend on whether they are compulsory or not.

Raveboy

what exatcly does 'you have too pay them to occupy your home' mean?

Raveboy

dmg24 wrote: »

Good to see you back with us Raveboy!

Its great to be back too DMG 24

dmg24

Raveboy wrote: »

Zappy you stated that service charges cover utilites bills for communal areas but does it cover private accomodation?

No, it doesn't.

zappster1966

From my own experience it often comes down to what is "reasonable" in the eyes of the officer processing your application. Let's look at your list ...

TV (you've listed TV here twice ... do you mean CCTV ?) .... if CCTV then yes they should cover the costs incurred for the CCTV system

Gym .... nope, they won't pay for your gym membership, surely you can opt out of gym membership ?

Security Guard .... yes, they should contribute to the costs of your security, that's not something you can opt out of

Receptionist .... as above

Laundry facilites .... yes they should pay towards the maintenance costs you incur for the communal laundry facilities, upkeep of the washing machines, dryers etc. But they won't pay any charges related to your use of the facilities.

Communal living room .... they should contribute towards maintenance costs of all communal areas at your property.

Utilities bills included .... they'll contribute towards the utility bills of common areas, lighting & heating on stairwells or other common areas, common water charges but won't contribute to the utility bills you incur within your own home.

cleaner .... yes they should cover the costs of communal cleaning

mainteinace bills covered .... regular day to day maintenance should be covered, gardening, changing lightbulbs, minor repairs .... however major repairs to your property (such as re-roofing, electrical re-wiring etc) will not be covered.

TV & licence fee .... no, they won't cover the licence fee for your own home, however if a tv is used in a room in a communal area then yes they may cover that. They should also cover the costs of upkeeping a communal tv system, the aerial & dish etc but they won't cover your own satellite subscription etc