landlord enquiring about health condition? :(

preciousillusions

*edited original thread as resolved query but have another question*

Has anyone ever had a landlord ask about your specific health condition when they know you will be paying rent with housing benefits due to disability? Is this normal?

I answered as didn't want to seem evasive or create problems but hate that I felt I had to. I don't want to be ashamed but I am due the mental health aspect. It feels very personal and uncomfortable. Are they even allowed to do this? I didn't feel I had a choice to be honest.

JustOnce

I think they have a set amount that they deduct regardless of what your landlord tells them. That's how it worked for me anyway.

preciousillusions

Yeah thanks I think I have it figured out now.

See edit above.

BigAunty

You could ask on the housing forum - lots of tenants and landlords there could share their experiences.

Poppie68

JustOnce wrote: »

I think they have a set amount that they deduct regardless of what your landlord tells them. That's how it worked for me anyway.

For a little clarity..JustOnce was replying to the OP's original question regarding HB and rent inclusive of bills....The OP removed the question.

haras_nosirrah

I am a landlord and have had to ask my tenant whether he is claiming any benefits today (have just texted him to ask him to confirm if he is claiming any)

nothing sinister but I know he had some health problems last year and was unable to work for a time and as I am renewing my landlord home insurance I need to check if he is now on any benefits as it is a question on the insurance policy and if I answer no and he is then the policy could be voided,

Poppie68

haras_nosirrah wrote: »

I am a landlord and have had to ask my tenant whether he is claiming any benefits today (have just texted him to ask him to confirm if he is claiming any)

nothing sinister but I know he had some health problems last year and was unable to work for a time and as I am renewing my landlord home insurance I need to check if he is now on any benefits as it is a question on the insurance policy and if I answer no and he is then the policy could be voided,[/QUOTE






I bet you didn't ask for details about a specific illness like the op says her LL did though.....or are details required for insurance purposes on rental properties?
Sounds overly intrusive and out of order to ask that question.... Op did you ask why they needed to know?

rogerblack

Has anyone ever had a landlord ask about your specific health condition when they know you will be paying rent with housing benefits due to disability?

I question if this would be legal to do anything with the answer under the equalities act.
They certainly would not be able to evict, or raise rents based on the answer.
Is this a private landlord?

haras_nosirrah

Misread the op. Thought he was annoyed the landlord had asked him about him being on benefits

I wouldn't ask my tenant for details about his condition as I just need to know if he claims hb not what he claims for (although I do know he has had several heart attacks as he told me - I didn't ask)

helping_hand2014

a friend of mine who has severe mental health issues had a similar situation a few years back her rent was being paid for by hosing benefit the land lord was ok with this.

he tried to get her to sign a piece of paper giving him permission to hold detail of her illnesses and medications when she told her CPN and also her GP she was told he had no right to request anything her CPN soon gave him a telling off for that as its noting to do with him and i cant see anywhere where a landlord has the right to request this kind of information he was a private landlord at the time

DaveTheMus

Very irritating when an OP 'edits' the thread when their question was answered.

Extremely selfish thing to do; someone might be in a similar situation in the future but now has no way of knowing...