Housing benefit changes from 1st January 2012

bendover

I need some advice regarding the new housing benefit changes for single people aged 25 to 34 who rent from a private landlord.

Apparently, single people aged 25 to 34 who rent a one bedroom property from a private landlord will now receive the lower rate for shared accommodation (rather than the one bedroom rate) from 1st January 2012. This will affect me as I'm 32, single and renting a single bedroom house from a private landlord.

I recently received a letter from my local council telling me about this new change and they say that the change applies to me from 21st February 2012. Now, according to the leaflet they enclosed with the letter, it says the change will affect me "from the end of the 'transitional protection' period if claimed housing benefit before 1st April 2011". The transitional protection period is apparently 9 months after the anniversary date of my benefit claim.

Well, my original claim date was 31st May 2009 and the council appears to have worked out my transitional protection period going from 1st April 2011. I spoke to somebody at the council about this and they insisted the date they gave me is correct. Everywhere else I have found this info on the internet seems to say that the transitional protection period for this new rule change starts after 1st January 2012, not 1st April 2011. Very confusing!

Can anybody please advise me if this is correct or not? Thanks!

rhcp

For existing claims like yours, the protection period is 9 months after 1st April 2011, therefore 1st January 2012.

MrsManda

From the information on Direct.gov.uk, I think your council may be right.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_192415

Who is affected?

If your circumstances don’t change, you will continue to get the same rate of Local Housing Allowance as you get now. This will continue for nine months after your local authority next assess your Housing Benefit, after 1 April 2011.

If you were last assessed on the 21st May 2011, your transitional protection would've started then and would be due to finish on the 21st February 2012.

There could be 10 days in it if you were reassessed exactly on the anniversary of your claim 31st May 2011

Hopefully someone who works in housing will be able to clarify.

bendover

Thanks for the replies, yes it appears the council are right. Looks like I'm going to be homeless (or back living with the parents!) at the end of next month as there's no way I can afford the rent on the new reduced LHA rate.