Will i get housing benefit???

LUCYR1984

Hi all,

Just a quick question, i am in the process of looking for somewhere to live and was just wondering in my circumstances if i would be entitled to housing benefit? I am over 25, single and work around 20 hours per week. I have tried going on the entitledto website but dont understand the LHA bit lol....the propery im looking at is around £400 pm.

I would appreciate any help or advice you could offer

Thanks

concerned43

LHA is dependant on
1) your earnings
2) your room entitlement- if single and no children then you would only be entitled to one bedroom
3) the area you want to live in - different LHA for different areas

try this
https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/LHARateSearch.aspx?SearchType=PostCode

hbgirl

v v v simplified version. as a single person over 25 the government says you need £65.45 per week to live on. anything above that is "excess income". as a single person £5 is disregarded.

the rent will subject to a limit for a one bedroom property in your area, which is what the LHA website tells you. say, for your area that is £100 per week.

65% of your excess income would be your contribution to the rent, the rest will be paid by HB.

say you earn £70.45 per week. disregard £5 (you can keep that!), your excess income is nil. you would get full HB (up to the LHA one bed rate, if the rent is higher you have to find that money yourself)

say you earn £270.45 per week. disregard £5, your excess income is £200, more than your rent, so no HB

say you earn £170.45 per week, £5 is disregarded so your excess income will be £100 per week. your rent is also £100.

you would get £35 per week HB.

if you are also liable for council tax, the calc is the same except the "taper" is 20%.

which means, so long as you are on these benefits you only really get to keep £5 plus 15% of your income.

by the way, to convert weekly to monthly, please don't forget, don't just times by four, times by 52, then divide by 12

gosh, it's late, i'm suddenly paranoid i got something wrong. and this is my job! somebody confirm or deny for me???

fluffymovie

Hb girl, all spot on except that I'd say that the £5 disregard is only from earnings!!

merlin68

Don't forget from April next year, the shared room rate is for up to age 35.

Oldernotwiser

Will you be able to afford £400 pm when you're working full time again? Will you be able to afford it when you can only claim the shared accommodation rate next year?