Housing Benefit- how do they work it out?

cleggie

Hello all,

i am just wondering how they work out the amount of housing benefit you get?

At the moment, i live in a HA house, but am looking to move house and rent privately (next summer). The rent will be much more expensive (obviously) so am just wondering how they work out how much HB to give?

MrsManda

They used Local Housing Allowance rates. These depend on where you live and your situation. You can find out the rates in your area by following the links below. The rules are changing in April 2011 so you need to look at that information as well.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018928

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_192415 - changes

pandaspot

Your hb will be based on the lha rate your entitled to

Have a look here https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/LHASearchIntro.aspx lha is going to be based on the 30 percentile instead of the 50% In april so lha will be reduced. You should look at the shadow rates for your area

After you have you lha rate have a look at the turn2us Benefit calculator. That will give you an idea then if what hb you will be entitled to

Oldernotwiser

How much do you earn and will you be earning more when you move?

Jowo_2

Why are you giving up the security of tenure and cheap rent of social housing in order to never know where you may be living after the next 6 months?

Have you given it proper thought? There are millions of people waiting to be allocated social housing, trying to bail out of private renting, for good reasons.

pandaspot

Jowo wrote: »

Why are you giving up the security of tenure and cheap rent of social housing in order to never know where you may be living after the next 6 months?

Have you given it proper thought? There are millions of people waiting to be allocated social housing, trying to bail out of private renting, for good reasons.

i thought this too, especially with the changes in lha

cleggie

Because for me, the whole point of being debt free and sorting myself out financially is because i want to move house, to a nice area, not here. I want a house with a garden, and a bit of countryside. At the moment i live in the middle of the city and my children have no garden, no freedom, and i really really want to move.
Problem is- so does everyone else. I have NO chance of getting an exchange out of the city, as nobody would want to exchange.

fluffymovie

We calculate it using your income and household as well as your eligible rent.

E.g - Single claimant over 25 - applicable amount (what the Govt says you need to live on) pre April 2011 - £65.45

Say you are working 30 hrs per week for £300 per week.
We would disregard £5 as you are a single person in work and a further £17.10 as you are working over 30 hrs, meaning an income of £277.90.

Take your app amount away from this income and it means you have an 'excess income' of £212,45.
You need to pay 65% of this towards your own rent before HB is payable.

So for example, if you are in your HA property, the rent is agreed in full (apart from personal service charges)
65% of my example would be £139.09 and so if your weekly rent is below that, you wouldn't get any HB but if above that, you would get your rent minus the bit you have to contribute yourself.

cleggie

Thanks Fluffymovie.
Do they take into account how much of your income is spent on childcare?

Oldernotwiser

cleggie wrote: »

Because for me, the whole point of being debt free and sorting myself out financially is because i want to move house, to a nice area, not here. I want a house with a garden, and a bit of countryside. At the moment i live in the middle of the city and my children have no garden, no freedom, and i really really want to move.
Problem is- so does everyone else. I have NO chance of getting an exchange out of the city, as nobody would want to exchange.

Firstly, I'm sure we would all like these things but you can't afford them if you're already claiming HB and are planning on spending more on rent.

Secondly, do you realise that you could be facing the upheaval and expense of a move every 6 months in a private rental; there is no security renting in the private sector and it's very difficult to find LLs who accept benefits claimants.

fluffymovie

Childcare is taken into account in certain circumstances. Up to £175 for 1 child, £300 for 2 or more children.

Must be registered childcare but if you google Childcare housing benefit, you'll find loads of info