Housing benefit

jay_1978

I have been living with different relatives all my life and now I want to finally get a place of my own, Now at the moment I am unemployed and was wondering if they limit to what they pay towards your rent? I have seen a few places online local to me and they are roughly £350 - £400 at the cheapest. Will the housing benefit cover that or is that too much ?

Jowo_2

You can identify your LHA entitlement on the LHA direct website.

How old are you? Currently, those under the age of 25 are entitled to a rate of Local Housing Allowance equivalent to a room in a shared property but the govt are planning to extend this to the age of 35? Also, LHA is currently set at the median of local market rents but will be dropping to the bottom third (move from the 50th to 30th percentile in the way it is calculated).

Do you have the equivalent of £700 to £1000 to cover the first months rent, the deposit, and perhaps agency fees, too?

Many landlords will not rent their properties to LHA claimants and many of those who do will demand a guarantor, someone in employment who can cover your rent if you default. Do you have a guarantor? (not always necessary but fairly common request).

Do you think you can cover all bills from your JSA? It can be quite tough to pay for everything on £65 per week.

Svenena

Yes, they do limit what they will pay towards your rent. You are only entitled to rent for a certain type of property - eg single people aged under 25 only get enough rent to cover a room in a shared house, single people over 25 get enough for a one-bedroom property, etc. And then depending what type of property you are eligible for, there are locally imposed maximum limits up to which they will cover your rent. Your local council's website will tell you what these are.

You have to secure a property before you can claim, so you will need to have a month's rent in advance and most likely a deposit saved up. Landlords will be more likely to take you on if you are able to provide a guarantor (eg a parent).

jay_1978

Thanks for your replys. I am 31 and I could get a parent as a guarantor. I lived with other replatives but had to move back in with parents which is a nightmare but I had no option as I had to make a jsa claim, I can't honestly find anything cheaper than £350 a month, I have a mate who has a brother who is unemployed and his rent is 400 + a month and he gets the majority of it payed for him, this is why I thought £350 wouldn't be to expensive.. thanks again

brit1234

Can't you just stay with parents till you get a job and then you can pay the rent yourself.

jay_1978

brit1234 wrote: »

Can't you just stay with parents till you get a job and then you can pay the rent yourself.

I could but where they live has a really poor bus service and its hindering my options in areas to find work, The buses don't start til 7am and finish at 2:30 pm, This is due to trouble from youths in the past bricking buses

eamon

Look up your LA on the internet and search for the housing advice section. If you can make an appointment for a face to face interview then do so. This way you will get all the info that you need and possibly lots of help as well.