housing benefit and benefit basics query, please help

dustinjames

dmg24 wrote: »

OK, I am going to be a tad blunt here. You are thirty years old, can you not work any of this out for yourself? Surely you know the difference between four weeks and a month?

Spend some time working things out for yourself, then come back and tell us what you have found out. We'll let you know if you are on the right tracks.

I dont trust myself, this is why I am asking for others advice and help and confirmations.

Council told me today that £103 per week comes to £448 per month.
So a single person can get a flat up to £448 excluding bills and the LHA will cover it.

This comes a surprises to me, as i was simply multipying 103 by 4 weeks = £414

bestpud

dustinjames wrote: »

I dont trust myself, this is why I am asking for others advice and help and confirmations.

Council told me today that £103 per week comes to £448 per month.
So a single person can get a flat up to £448 excluding bills and the LHA will cover it.

This comes a surprises to me, as i was simply multipying 103 by 4 weeks = £414

So, have your questions been answered now?

fluffymovie

At the risk of carrying this thread on uncessarily, I think if you have spoken to the council who have answered your questions, you will have the most information you can get.

Local Housing Allowance is a weekly benefit and so a monthly rent calculated into weekly amounts for us is X per calendar month x 12 / 52m = Weekly amount.

It does sound as though you have some very high expectations and sometimes if you are not working, you have to lower these to enable you to live a reasonable but not luxurious life.

Again, I am amazed that a 2 bed in Birmingham city centre is a Band E. I live in a 3 bed semi in Berkshire and that is only a band D! I also lived in a busy city centre and was only a band A! But I have no reason to disbelieve what you say....

I think you have all the information we can give you now and would wish you well but as I have said, I think if you want to move out now whilst not in work, you can't be quite so particular. If you find a cheap property but it doesn't have a lift, is that not better than where you are now? If not, why not stay where you are and save up so that you can put money towards a more expensive property

Jowo_2

dustinjames wrote: »

city centre: found one studio £400, but no parking.

city centre starts at £450>
I need to live in city centre. I need to see life. I need inspiration.

2 bed flat: band E: city centre

How do you expect to run a car and see life and get inspired on a low income, such as JSA which is £65 per week which tends to cover basic bills (just and only if person is really good at budgeting)?

OK, the market determines rental levels (supply and demand) but it looks like its priced LHA tenants out of the city centre.

Why not call up the agents to see if they accept LHA claimants and then haggle them down from 450 to 400? Chances are the answer is no and no but you never know until you try.

dustinjames

bestpud wrote: »

So, have your questions been answered now?

Visitited CAB today, confused me.

He said it could be £448 with the x52/12 calculation

But he said it could also be £414 with the 103 x 4 weeks calculation.

which threshold do i use?

fluffymovie

As I have said, Local Housing Allowance is a weekly benefit and the regulations state that a monthly rent expressed weekly is calculated as stated in my previous response.

I work in HB so please take my word for it

dustinjames

sorry chaps.

is this a standard deal/technique that agents/landlords use? :

EXAMPLE:

£450 per month for 6 month contract.

£425 per month for 12 month contract.

dmg24

If you are asking if LLs reduce the rent for longer contracts, then no, it does not happen often.

Are you going to be able to afford this rent once you are back in full time work?

dustinjames

dmg24 wrote: »

If you are asking if LLs reduce the rent for longer contracts, then no, it does not happen often.

Are you going to be able to afford this rent once you are back in full time work?

full time working, no problem.
Its if i go part time or am unemployed, things will be strained.
But LHA should cover this hopefully.

Oldernotwiser

dustinjames wrote: »

This comes a surprises to me, as i was simply multipying 103 by 4 weeks = £414

Maths not your strong point?