How much housing benefit would I get?

JillyJolly_2

Hello,

Moving into a new place alone, just wondering if you can help me with how much housing benefit I will get with all the new changes.

I get ESA support group, income related and DLA low rate care/mobile.


Would be 1 bedroom flat/house or 2 bedroom house. Phoned a letting agency and they said I would only get £60 a week housing benefit if moving into 2 bedroom house, but online calculators say £100 odd a week?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.

paddedjohn

How old are you? If under 35 you will get the shared house rate. Check your local council website for the LHA rate in your area for a 1 bed place if you are over 35.

JillyJolly_2

i am 26, thanks,

Caz3121

JillyJolly wrote: »

Phoned a letting agency and they said I would only get £60 a week housing benefit if moving into 2 bedroom house, but online calculators say £100 odd a week?

In the online calculators you need to enter the rent as the LHA rate for shared accommodation for your area (the actual rent is irrelevant, the maximum you could receive is the shared rate)
try your council website and it should tell you what the shared accommodation rate is

just to add you can chose to live in any size accommodation you wish but you would need to make up the rent shortfall from your other benefits

JillyJolly_2

Hello,


I went to view a 2 bedroom house a couple of days ago, the negotiator who shown me the house said as I'm living alone I would get £67 a week housing benefit.

The rent is £450 a month so that would mean paying £186 a month out of my own pocket for the rent, is this correct?

It says from GOV site:

From April 2013, if you live in council accommodation or other social housing and are assessed as having at least 1 extra bedroom in your house, your Housing Benefit could be reduced by:

• 14% of the ‘eligible rent’ if you have 1 extra bedroom
• 25% of the ‘eligible rent’ if you have 2 or more extra bedrooms

This is private rented from estate agency.

I know much easier to get one bedroom place but I'd like to know if this is correct information above and that I'll only get £67 housing benefit if I'm living in a 2 bedroom house alone.

Thanks in advance.

paddedjohn

Sounds about right.

zzzLazyDaisy

JillyJolly wrote: »

I'd like to know if this is correct information above and that I'll only get £67 housing benefit if I'm living in a 2 bedroom house alone.

It is impossible for anyone on here to tell you what you will get, because LHA rates vary from area to area. Personally I wouldn't take the EA's word for it.

You need to google 'LHA' + the name of your local authority.

That should take you to the LHA tables for your area. Check the room in a shared house rate - that is the maximum allowance towards your rent, regardless of whether you rent a one or two bedroomed place. You will be entitled to the maximum because you are on means tested benefits, and DLA is disregarded.

The only reason you would be allowed a two bed place is if you can produce evidence that, owing to your disability, you need care during the night AND that you do have a carer who sleeps overnight and needs their own room. In that case you should contact your local authority and explain that you have special circumstances.

pmlindyloo

QUOTE

From April 2013, if you live in council accommodation or other social housing and are assessed as having at least 1 extra bedroom in your house, your Housing Benefit could be reduced by:

• 14% of the ‘eligible rent’ if you have 1 extra bedroom
• 25% of the ‘eligible rent’ if you have 2 or more extra bedrooms

The above quote only refers to council housing or housing association housing.

You are renting privately.

The amount of rent you received is governed by the local housing allowance as assessed by your local council.

Lazydaisy and others are correct.

You will be entitled to the 'shared room rate' because you are not receiving middle/high rate DLA (this would entitle you to the one bed rate) nor do not require a regular overnight carer.

Caz3121

JillyJolly wrote: »

I went to view a 2 bedroom house a couple of days ago, the negotiator who shown me the house said as I'm living alone I would get £67 a week housing benefit.

You need to check if the £67 is the one-bedroom rate or the shared accommodation rate - if it is the one-bedroom rate you would not get that

Housing_Benefit_Officer

JillyJolly wrote: »

i am 26, thanks,

As you are single and under 35 you get the shared room rate not the 1 bedroom rate.

JillyJolly_2

Thanks all for the replies ,area is Nottingham.

Was seeing some people before to help me with this stuff but they not dealing with my current area now, only in area where I'll move to so cant get help till I move (Due to my disabilities I have difficulty understanding and remembering all this, never mind doing it)

I did look at a one bedroom house today, and I'm interested in this one as its nice (Rare to find one bedroom house also) The rent is £400, would LHA or housing benefit cover all the rent with this?

Sorry for the silly questions and stuff, I just really struggle to get my head round this LHA thing even after google research, can't get professional help again regarding benefits till I move .