Housing Benefit guide Discussion Area

Anubis_2

when I was last assessed, several years ago, that was the amount of rent I was paying, and it was deemed to be fair at the time. Every year, that amount continues to be used as the 'fair rent' amount for the property, regardless of how much the actual rent may be. There is apparently no way to change this amount. The only way we would ever be able to receive more than ~£50 would be to request to be moved onto the LHA scheme!

That doesn't sound right to me. Mine was assessed for less 14 years ago but I get the full amount. I am on the old rules. Each year on the old rules they allowed a small rise to cover rises in rent and houses rising on the market.

I would speak to someone higher.

tryingto

I've been reading all I can on the changes but I am still getting really confused. I wonder if anyone could please help?

I am early thirties and receive housing benefit, it will be one year in November. When the changes come into place for people under 35, cutting hb drastically, will that apply to me from January 2012, or 9 months from November 2011, or 9 months from November 2012?:o
I'm finding it really confusing, as I know the age related change doesn't come in till 2012? Thanks for any help in advance.

Anubis_2

Are you renting a council or housing association house? The LHA rules do not apply if you are. When did you first claim housing benefit for the place you are in? If it was before 2008 the new rules will not apply to you.

tryingto

I'm in a private rental. First started claiming in November 2010.

xcathx

fluffymovie - That's what I thought but the lady that was dealing with us was adamant that the only option was to agree to the April rates. (I think she just wanted to get rid of us to be fair, she'd been talking to us for about half an hour by that point)

Turkleton - I was informed by the HB office that for standard HB claims, while they continue to state that rents are being reassessed every year, what they actually mean is that the old value is just carried forward.

Anubis - It sounds strange to me too that they wouldn't allow for any increase in rent at all. The lady at my local HB office told me that the information on my award notice comes from the 'Decision Makers.' These mysterious people cannot be reached in person, by phone or letter.


Wish I'd remembered to come back here sooner to post this, there's not really anything I can do about it now. I'd actually closed the claim a few weeks ago because my partner had started work & we were told that rather than waiting another 6 weeks for our CofC to be reassessed (again) we may as well close the claim, as he'd definitely be earning too much. Yesterday he lost his job so I got in touch with them to re-open it. As it's been 5 weeks, we have to start a new claim from scratch. If it'd been 4 weeks we could've done a rapid-reclaim and if we'd just left it to be reassessed when he started work, we'd still be waiting for that decision so could've done another CofC.
I understand now that our old claim was closed, we'll definitely be put onto LHA this time.

I wish I could afford to never have to deal with these people again... I suppose that's the point though, isn't it :sad:

storm2284

ok, i have just found this thread after getting a very worrying letter in the post today about people under 35 now only getting shared rated from next year, i am in part time work, covering split shifts as i do wrap around childcare in town about 5 miles away from me, i am also doing an apprenticeship to gain my level 3 childcare qualification, my wages vary from month to month so my claim is looked at monthly which is fair enough. but now with this change coming into place i fear there is no way i can afford to continue living in my 1 bedroom privately rented flat. it's neither big or glamorous and is reasonable pricewise for the area i live in. i called housing who said the letter should not have come out until the second week in september and a few slipped through the net mine being one of them, they gave very little advice apart from there is a possibility of the discretional fund, which appears not very easy to get and to speak to shelter, but as of now there is very little i can do. i am single and live on my own, maximum hours i do a week are 22 and that's in holidays so i cannot get tax credits i drive 20 miles a day to go to work and back and have to use my own car as it is used for driving children to school and back which means with the little benefit i get i have around £20 a week to get food electric gas tv licence etc with. i get by with my mum's help
what is someone in my position supposed to do??? last thing i can cope with is to go into a shared house.i had to do that at 18 and got seriously abused by men that lived in the same house and it's struck the fear of god into me that it looks like i'm going to be made homeless in a few months time, saving isn't an option and having had a second job to get me afloat i lost nearly all of it to go into rent anyway so i was even worse off, housing for me is going to be very difficult to get as in the last 3 months of over 5000 people that were in the same band i'd qualify for only 7 people got a property. i am seriously terrified as to what is going to happen

okokok

Hello

goodbye

Marisco

Just a question out of curiosity really. If someone has been in a 1 bed flat for years, loses their job and has to claim HB, and the HB rate is such that they cannot afford the top up, will they have to move into shared accommodation? This can't be right can it? You cannot expect mature people to house/flat share surely? I can see the sense in this to discourage people on benefits not to have large families, or to stop people moving into areas they wouldn't be able to afford if working, with HB picking up the tab. But there should be some sort of "selection" process, not just lumping everyone together!!!

shazaroo

My parents sold their house to me 3 years ago and now rent it from me as they were unable to pay the mortgage paymnets at that time. they have no savings and only get pension credits as their only income and are both retired, the rent covers the interest only mortgage payment on the property so no financial gain. Pension credit told them to apply for housing benefit and they have now been told they cannot claim as it was their previous property and they cannot prove how much debt they where in 3 years ago? They don't have any evidence as everything shredded, what can they do? Is there anything they can do????
Help!!:eek:

harvey115

My parents and I are currently living in a Council house and I am paying my full rent to the Council. My parents are in receipt of Housing Benefits. We are planning on renting a bigger house because the council do not have any bigger houses for our family to move into for quite a while.

I was wondering when we move out of the Council house and rent a house on our own, will my parents be able to apply for housing benefit? Since there is going to be only one Tenancy agreement (possibly on my Dad's name), will the local authority say to my parents that they wont pay housing benefit because my parents should only receive it and the house is a bit too big for them?

Or does the Council automatically calculates the rates they will be giving out to the amount of people? i.e. no matter how big the house is as long as they are legally on housing benefit register, they will be paid out the correct amount.

Just a confusing question, hope someone has an answer for me.