Wrong figure worked out by council for weekly rent

Skyblue1

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I have both recently lost our jobs and went to our local council to sort out housing benefit on our private rented studio flat until such a time as one (or hopefully both of us) find work again.

We live in Camden. Our Local Housing Allowance rate is up to £250 per week on a one bed flat.

We pay £606 a month in rent and have done since moving in 4 years ago.

The council have calculated that we pay £140 a week based on our rental contract - which clearly states we pay £606 per month. This is obviously leaving us a shortfall of £46 per month on our rent and money is obviously very tight at the moment.

What should we do? Can we simply approach the council and explain they've worked out the weekly rent wrong from a figure of £606 a month. Are they likely to give us problems?

Any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks

skater_kat

Skyblue1 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I have both recently lost our jobs and went to our local council to sort out housing benefit on our private rented studio flat until such a time as one (or hopefully both of us) find work again.

We live in Camden. Our Local Housing Allowance rate is up to £250 per week on a one bed flat.

We pay £606 a month in rent and have done since moving in 4 years ago.

The council have calculated that we pay £140 a week based on our rental contract - which clearly states we pay £606 per month. This is obviously leaving us a shortfall of £46 per month on our rent and money is obviously very tight at the moment.

What should we do? Can we simply approach the council and explain they've worked out the weekly rent wrong from a figure of £606 a month. Are they likely to give us problems?

Any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks

Their calculation is not wrong. £606 per month is £140 per week: 606 x 12 months per year divide by 52 weeks in the year. thats how they get the figure.

skater_kat

i.e. there is no shortfall.

BrettMorganxD

Skyblue1 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I have both recently lost our jobs and went to our local council to sort out housing benefit on our private rented studio flat until such a time as one (or hopefully both of us) find work again.

We live in Camden. Our Local Housing Allowance rate is up to £250 per week on a one bed flat.

We pay £606 a month in rent and have done since moving in 4 years ago.

The council have calculated that we pay £140 a week based on our rental contract - which clearly states we pay £606 per month. This is obviously leaving us a shortfall of £46 per month on our rent and money is obviously very tight at the moment.

What should we do? Can we simply approach the council and explain they've worked out the weekly rent wrong from a figure of £606 a month. Are they likely to give us problems?

Any advice would be appreciated,

Thanks

Are you under 25? because if you are they only calculate the local housing allownace for a single room rate. It is £54 a week for a single person round here. No idea for a couple

Torry_Quine

It's correct. £606 x12 months /52 weeks = £140

Skyblue1

I thought it was something like this having played about on the calculator to reach their figure, but in real terms we pay £606 per month regardless of the number of days in the month (same paid for Feb as Jul, for example). Is there any point in appealing or are they just going to tell us we pay less than we actually do?

skater_kat

the council pay the full amount. you dont have to pay anything.

Skyblue1

Was so worried that I just couldn't see it staring me in the face!

Thanks to all of you - my girlfriend and I will stop stressing about this now.

Hammyman

Skyblue1 wrote: »

I thought it was something like this having played about on the calculator to reach their figure, but in real terms we pay £606 per month regardless of the number of days in the month (same paid for Feb as Jul, for example). Is there any point in appealing or are they just going to tell us we pay less than we actually do?

There is nothing to appeal because you are getting what you pay. You pay £7,272 a year rent. They are giving you £7280 rent benefit a year. By all means appeal but you'll find you get your payments reduced by 67p a month as currently you are receiving £8 a year more benefit than you pay in rent.

sulkisu

Skyblue1 wrote: »

I thought it was something like this having played about on the calculator to reach their figure, but in real terms we pay £606 per month regardless of the number of days in the month (same paid for Feb as Jul, for example). Is there any point in appealing or are they just going to tell us we pay less than we actually do?

There is no shortfall, therefore you have no grounds for appeal. Rent is worked out weekly, not per calender month. |You should also be prepared for the fact that housing benefit is usually paid at four weekly intervals, probably in arrears, not monthly (check with Camden Council). So instead of receiving £606 each month, you would receive £560 every four weeks - i.e. a total of 13 payments in one year as opposed to 12 monthly payments.

Edited to add: Depending on when your rent is due, the frequency of the payments and the date that your claim was submitted, you might need to find some money from somewhere in the early months to make up the balance, although over the course of your claim, you will receive the full amount owed.

hbgirl

skater_kat is right. to put it another way, normally hb is paid two weekly (£280 each payment), as there is 52 weeks in a year that is 26 payments. that is the same as 13 four weekly payments.

so, in one calendar year, you will receive equivalent of 13 four weekly payments, even though there is only 12 months.

or to put another way, in one of the calendar months (depending when you claim and your payment schedule) you will actually receive 3 payments.

confusing and a bit tricky for budgeting i admit, but correct.