Housing Benefit Entitlement

rflops

I did a benefit checker online and it came back with my benefits calculated at the amount i get each week. The Housing Benefit however i don't understand fully. I live in a private rented house and the rent is £450 per month, which is the entitlement for a family with 2 children. When i put the allowance in the benefit checker it said on the results page that the entitlement was £105 per week. As my rent gets paid directly to my landlord, should i be getting the £105 per week? If not what does this mean please? If anyone can help me i would be very grateful.

Jowo_2

Are you on housing benefit or local housing allowance? LHA is normally paid to tenants, not landlords, unless the tenant has had substantial arrears in the past or is vulnerable and can't manage their money (such as special needs, for example).

Those on LHA can get to keep the first £15 per week if the rent is lower than the maximum LHA but this is something that is likely to be withdrawn in the future.

Monthly rent of £450 works out at £103.84 per week.

EDIT - calculation - £450 x 12 months divided by 52 weeks.

mardatha

My daughter is in a private rent at £450 a month and her figures didnt tally up. When she asked they said some months are 4 week and some are 5 week, so the £105 is the rent worked out over the year. Am sorry I cant remember fully how they put it, but that was what it was about. Over the year .

Jowo_2

LHA/HB can be paid 4 weekly but rents are often charged on a monthly basis. People often get confused because these cycles are out of synch. A HB cycle across the year is actually composed of 13 periods (as there are 13 weeks in each quarter) but tenants often assume that there are 4 weeks in every month, when in fact there are 4 and a bit weeks in virtually all months.

rflops

Jowo wrote: »

Are you on housing benefit or local housing allowance? LHA is normally paid to tenants, not landlords, unless the tenant has had substantial arrears in the past or is vulnerable and can't manage their money (such as special needs, for example).

Those on LHA can get to keep the first £15 per week if the rent is lower than the maximum LHA but this is something that is likely to be withdrawn in the future.

Monthly rent of £450 works out at £103.84 per week.

EDIT - calculation - £450 x 12 months divided by 52 weeks.

I'm not sure if it's housing benefit or LHA but i asked for it to be paid direct to my landlord as i had financial difficulties at the time and it was easier for me that way.

debrag

when I was on LHA I would get a cheque each week (if on time). Council's don't work it out monthly. My rent was £845 a month, some months I'd get £780 some months £975 with the £15 on top of these so in a year it all balances out.