What does no DSS actually mean?.......

t0rt0ise

00ec25 wrote: »

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

Equality Act 2010 now

00ec25

t0rt0ise wrote: »

Equality Act 2010 now

but we are talking DSS acronyms not LHA or DWP etc so I'm still in the DDA time warp not the EA10

gizmo111

00ec25 wrote: »

Looks like you dealt with a switched on LA

if a LL/LA states no DSS and then refuses people on IB/DLA they risk being done for discrimination unde rthe Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), therefore the blanket term no DSS needs to be applied very carefully and should never be used to exclude *everyone* on benefits.

also in response to fatbelly #8 - a competent LL will always do a credit check and that would show up someone on LHA because the T could not afford the rent on their income alone, so yes you can hide receipt of LHA from the LL and not tell the LL upfront, but that does not mean it will not be noticed.

Where on a credit check oes it show your income?

sillygirl73

Thank you everyone for your comments,its clearer now! We will just about afford the rent as have been used to scrimping over the last few years! We probably won't claim, but I guess it is good to know that the option could be there should things get more difficult.

fatbelly

00ec25 wrote: »

also in response to fatbelly #8 - a competent LL will always do a credit check and that would show up someone on LHA because the T could not afford the rent on their income alone, so yes you can hide receipt of LHA from the LL and not tell the LL upfront, but that does not mean it will not be noticed.

gizmo111 wrote: »

Where on a credit check oes it show your income?

A credit check does not reveal income. I guess the landlord or agent would want to see 'evidence of income' as a sort of answer to my own question.

I wonder how much use a credit check actually is when it does not show history of rent arrears, council tax arrears, water arrears, old debts, benefit overpayments...

Benji

fatbelly wrote: »

So 'no DSS' is code for 'no LHA'

But how would the landlord know? The tenant applies to the Council, the council pays (4-weekly in arrears) to the tenant and the tenant is responsible for paying the rent, usually calendar monthly.


You can be working and earning an OK wage and still get some LHA.

No, it means no state benefits at all. There are a number of LHA claimants who would be able to meet their obligations regarding payment dates and amounts - but a very large percentage work on the basis that the council pay 2/4 weeks in arrears, so that's when I'll pay the landlord - irrespective of the fact that they have agreed a contract with the landlord that says one month in advance.

• If you qualify for state benefits, you are unlikely to pass the credit check/referencing for the property.
• If, by some miracle, you do, then your non declaration of benefits may invalidate the landlords insurance (eg Directline won't insure benefits tenants) - guess who would be liable if they refused a claim?
• Also your non-declaration of benefits (if asked OR if the ad says no DSS etc) would give the landlord grounds for eviction under ground 17 section 8 of the 1988 Housing Act.

We all have to play within the rules - tenants AND landlords.
===============

EDIT: Most of the above has been covered by other posts - Doh. Teach me to read the whole thread before picking up my keyboard!

property.advert

I think the bottom line is that the landlord wants their money in advance and the council pays in arrears. That means the benefits tenant is going to have to find a couple of months as deposit, a month in advance, another couple of months whilst the council sorts out payment and another couple of weeks as fees etc. and most benefits claimants simply don't have 20+ weeks of rent lying around and if they did, the council would quite possibly reduce their benefits on the grounds that they had too much money !

katygeorge

im getting £18 a week towards my rent and havnt told my ll, i pay my rent from my wages and then have the housing benefit when it hits the bank so its not effecting me paying my rent in full and ontime so ive not said anything

Doom_and_Gloom

property.advert wrote: »

I think the bottom line is that the landlord wants their money in advance and the council pays in arrears. That means the benefits tenant is going to have to find a couple of months as deposit, a month in advance, another couple of months whilst the council sorts out payment and another couple of weeks as fees etc. and most benefits claimants simply don't have 20+ weeks of rent lying around and if they did, the council would quite possibly reduce their benefits on the grounds that they had too much money !

Sorry but you can have 6k in savings before money is taken into account with benefits.

Take this as an example (we will work on one month being 4 weeks even though I know that isn't the case)
£550 deposit + £550 first month rent = £1,100
£1,100 + £550 2nd month rent + £550 3rd month rent + £550 4th month rent + £550 5th month rent = £3,300
Perfectly possible to have the rent as savings without any problems. Even if it was 2 months as a deposit it would come to £3,850 which is well below the 6k savings line before savings get taken into account.

Even working on £700/month as per OP it is possible.
£700 deposit + £700 first rent + £2,800 for 4 rents after = £4,200 or £4,900 if 2 months for deposit. These figures are still below the 6k savings mark.

People may not have their benefits reduced as it is possible to have the money in savings and be under the 6k limit.

property.advert

And if you lived in London where rents are not so cheap you could be looking at £300 a week where 20 plus weeks rent would take you over the £6000 threshold.

As an aside, if the service level agreement with the council is to pay within 12 weeks and not 8 weeks, then you can add another 5 weeks to that total bringing it up nearer to £8000 and then you are certainly in doo doo land and caught in ever decreasing circle.