Renting a flat and claiming dss. Do i still need to pay a months rent in advance?

lil_miss_sunshine

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew if i still had to pay the months rent in advance if i'm claiming housing benefit. If i live there for one year (and claim dss for the year) the landlord will get the full 12 months paid by the council, plus my one months rent in advance. So he'll get 13 months for 12..

Any advice would be great.

BitterAndTwisted

If course you'll have to pay the month's rent in advance (and a deposit). The benefit is claimed as LHA (Local Housing Allowance not Housing Benefit unless you are a LA tenant) is paid direct to the tenant and is also paid to you in arrears, so you will have control over what gets paid to the landlord and when.

puddy

your contract with your landlord is nothing to do with your reciept of benefit

how do you know you'll be on benefits for a full year?

BitterAndTwisted

I suspect it's a hypothetical question based on the misapprehension that the benefit is paid to the landlord. It's paid to the tenant in arrears and presumably your tenancy agreement requires that you pay the rent in advance so you will be expected to cover that from your own resources until you receive it. Some Local Authorities can take a couple of months to sort claims, meanwhile you still need to make your payments to the landlord per the contact

puddy

i know, (ex HB and CTB officer!)

lil_miss_sunshine

Ok, thanks for your replies. Is all HB paid direct to the tenant?

Puddy - I don't know that i'll be on HB for a year. It's just an example for the question..

lil_miss_sunshine

For some reason i thought that the HB was paid directly to the landlord..

fruityfairy

lil_miss_sunshine wrote: »

For some reason i thought that the HB was paid directly to the landlord..

I always thought that too.
At the begining Last year my OH was out of work for 3 months and so he signed on JSA. We privately rent and the LL had stated when we took the tenancy that she would not accept DSS. I wondered at the time if if was possible for us to claim something towards to rent without the LL knowing (I believe she is claiming to be living in the house whilst living abroad but that is another story, however I think thats why she does not want DSS). Would it have been possible to claim?

Jeffrey_Shaw

lil_miss_sunshine wrote: »

For some reason i thought that the HB was paid directly to the landlord..

It's not; but logic [e.g. its name!] indicates that it's supposed to arrive in the hands of L [landlord].
Sad to say, T [tenant] may use it for other purposes...

HappyMJ

lil_miss_sunshine wrote: »

Ok, thanks for your replies. Is all HB paid direct to the tenant?

Puddy - I don't know that i'll be on HB for a year. It's just an example for the question..

Only in very exceptional circumstances is it paid to the landlord.

lil_miss_sunshine wrote: »

For some reason i thought that the HB was paid directly to the landlord..

You might want to check the LHA rates for your area. Check here --> https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx The rates for a shared room in my area is only £53 a week. Is that enough for you to rent a flat?

BitterAndTwisted

It used to be but it isn't now. If you're already in a rental property and starting a claim you need to have a very close look at your Local Authority's website and check what their LHA is for someone of your age and circumstances. If you're under 25 they will only pay a maximum of a shared-flat or house rate, so if you're alone in a three bedroomed house for instance there could be a huge shortfall which you will have to find yourself.