LHA/Housing Benefit Payments??

netgear11

Hi guys,

I am about to sign on the dotted line for a DSS accepted property, after months of looking.

However, there is a deposit AND first months rent.

I have 2 questions:

1. Can the council help me toward the deposit?

2. I have just enough for the first months rent (£850), and I struck a deal with the agent who has promised to refund me this once the council has processed my HB claim and backdated the payment for the first month. Does this sound legitimate?

Thanks as always MSE.

elfen

Get 2. in writing, and the agent to sign with you witnessing, and him witnessing you signing it.

For 1. you'd need to ask the council as many are different, and they may give it to you and ask you to pay back repayments

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

How many of you will be living in the property as the LHA you receive is usually substancially less than the monthly rent you actually have to pay?

netgear11

elfen wrote: »

Get 2. in writing, and the agent to sign with you witnessing, and him witnessing you signing it.

For 1. you'd need to ask the council as many are different, and they may give it to you and ask you to pay back repayments

Thanks man, good idea. But am I right in thinking that the council WILL backdate my claim to cover the 1st months rent anyway? Because, obviously I'm moving in next next Monday and can't get my HB sorted until I have a tenancy agreement drawn up - but I can't get the tenancy agreement drawn up until I pay the months rent? Is that right or?

Breast_Cancer_Survivor wrote: »

How many of you will be living in the property as the LHA you receive is usually substancially less than the monthly rent you actually have to pay?

Single occupancy. I have been told that I am able to get the maximu LHA allowance for my area (though my property is no where near the maximum anyway), plus this is further confirmed via my LA's website self-assessment thing..

elfen

*is a girl*

The council will backdate up to three months, to allow for you moving in and getting the tenancy agreement, so that's not a problem there. Could you ask if they could keep the £850 as a deposit as you have no other way of paying one, instead of returning it? Get that in writing if they agree to it.

hayley11

The council *may* backdate up to three months but this isn't a given, if you haven't lived in the property three months then they won't. They will backdate it to the date you first submitted the claim though, so assuming you submitted the claim straight away you should be ok.

Also as BCS suggested, the LHA may be lower than you're actual rent but hopefully you've already taken this into consideration

netgear11

Well.. Am I right in thinking that the council CANNOT process a HB claim without a signed tenancy agreement?

If so, it was my plan to, on Monday next week, sign the tenancy agreement, pay the landlord/agent their fees upfront, go straight to the HB office that day, submit my claim..

..Then it should take about a month to process, give or take a month (hopefully take).

So the council should backdate my claim from the data I made the claim, which is effectively the date I signed the contract and also the date I will have moved in by.

Is that right?

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Yes, you do need to take a copy of your tenancy agreement so they can check how much your rent is etc.

My council pay my LHA 4 weekly in arrears from the Monday you put your claim in, when I moved house recently my claim only took a couple of weeks but I guess it depends on how busy your council are at the moment.

Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for you & it doesn't take too long.

Good luck in your new home.

netgear11

Cheers guys.
So can I get help with the deposit?

What about council tax help?

hayley11

With my council we claim for HB and CTB at the same time, you should check if yours is the same or whether you need to do it seperately.

Are you in receipt of any other benefits? If so, contact the job centre and see if there is anything they can do. Also ask at your local council and see if they know of any help you can get.

netgear11

I am claiming IB / IS highest rate.. I was told that I just need to go to the HB office, not the JCP and pick up HB forms and fill them in.. Am I right?

(Thanks v much for all your help btw guys )