Can I rent privately if on benefits?

MoneySaverForever

Hi everyone, looking for a little advice if you can please. I'm currently battling cancer and finding things very difficult to cope with, feel very vulnerable right now but I am grateful because I have lots of support and Social Work services and my Doctor have arranged for me to go away for a break in the next few weeks to give me time away from things and it will be good to be around people that know what it's like to go through the same as I am.

Anyway, my Social Worker was telling me they'd like to get me rehoused as the area I'm in at the moment has a lot of problems and unfortunately, I don't feel safe or particularly want to live here anymore after a lot of the things which have happened. She told me that being rehoused is a priority and that in the meantime I'm able to pick a private let and housing benefit covers it? can you tell me more? since I've had to give up work, it's been a marathon finding out about benefits and things because it's so complicated and I'm just glad of the support I'm getting because I never had to deal with them before.

I currently receive ESA in the Support Group of £169.20 per week and DLA at the LRM/MRC of £68.85 per week and my Housing and Council Tax benefit amounts to another £60 or so in total but the Social Worker said that Housing Benefits Can pay for a property up to a set amount? I'm not sure what this limit is for someone my age (24) and because of this I don't know what I should be looking for. I live in Scotland if that makes any difference. All of the properties to rent here are quite expensive and if I found a property which for whatever reason Housing Benefit wouldn't cover the cost of completely, would I be able to put money towards it to make up the full rent every month? thank you for your help xxx

P.S I found a property on Rightmove which would be good for me and it costs £545 per month. It's a ground floor flat in a new development of flats in a quiet area which should be fine. I can't really find anything cheaper than that. There are properties for around £400 PCM but they're in bad areas and don't look well cared for or places where I'd want to live.

soolin

Other people will be along shortly to give specific advice, but the only thing I would say is that many landlords will not take tenants on benefits. When we started to let out property to assist a relative the letting agents just assumed that like most landlords we would refuse such tenants.

Hammyman

My tenant is on benefits. She gets LHA. I as her landlord have never seen anything to say she is on benefits and have never seen anything from the council to say she is claiming. She gets paid direct and pays me once a month. It is only because she is a family friend and has been on sickness benefits for years that I know she is.

As a landlord, it doesn't bother me that someone is on benefits. I would view an application from them the same as anyone else - go by the person. There is nothing written in stone that says someone in employment has their morals placed so they pay for food and the roof over their head before blowing their wages on rubbish. Someone in work is just as likely to not pay the rent as someone on LHA/HB being paid direct.

Tally-Ho_2

Hi,

Even though you live in Scotland, Housing Benefit claimed to live in a privately rented property is called Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

To see how much LHA weekly you can claim based on the number of bedrooms you are entitled to. Look up the weekly LHA rates either by postcode or local authority area here:

https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

This currently shows the LHA payable.

However do remember certain changes are coming/have come into force both recently and in the future which apply UK wide.

Antoher thing to consider if moving from Social Housing (such as Council or Housing Association) property is security of tenure. In renting privately, after the initial rental period, if the landlord wishes to take back the rented property, he can do so by giving you 2 months notice. Whereas with the council/housing association, unless there are exceptional reasons, they can only end the tennancy with a court order.

Tally

bunny999

It would be a good idea to contact McMillan Nurses as they are experts on benefits relating to people with cancer.

dseventy

As stated, you need to check your circs and see what you are entitled to for a private let (LHA).

I am a LL and I don't rent to people who rely on others (ie the state) to pay their rent. Some do, some don't. You need to inform the LL as they might want a guarantor, plus some LLs insurance is invalid if they have a BTL mortgage.

Also you need to remember that private lets do not offer the same security for the tenant as social housing does.

D70

Oldernotwiser

I would be very wary of giving up a secure tenancy for the insecurity of the private sector. I would also suggest that you contact the Housing Department to see how such a move would affect your priority for rehousing. Once in safe accommodation, however impermanent, you might find that you slide a long way down the housing list, particularly when your health problems are over.

Pee

If they will rehouse you, the rents are likely to be much cheaper.

As a landlord with a tenant on housing benefit, who is a friend, I wouldn't be overly keen about renting to a tenant on benefit because a) sometimes the benefits get messed around in an ideal world I would like a tenant with a house elsewhere so that they could be sued for any damage caused.

I have had a few problems letting to a friend, one of which has been that I find it hard to be firm with her when she has had health issues, but fortunately she has a good character and although she sometimes stretches it, she doesn't take advantage and for us it's worked really well.

I wouldn't have a problem with letting to you if I met you and thought you were basically sound.

Norman_Castle

This may help http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_196239

If you are with a social landlord have you explained your circumstances to them, they may help.