Housing Benefits And The Rent Officers Decision !!!

kurjam

hi all hope someone can give my friend some advice.

she currently Private rents and gets £22 a week housing benefit towards her rent of £115 per week.
housing benefit have assessed her rent at £98.08 a week, is it worth her asking them to re-look at it to see if they can change the desision to nearer the £115 a week..
she lives in a 3 bedroomed semi with partner and 4 kids.....

the house prices in her area are around £495 per calandar month...

she does not want to appeal against the £98.08 if theres a chance they may come back and lower it rather than increase it ?? thanks for any help in advance !!!

teeni

Always possible to receive less rather thatn more that is the risk you take ,however has she considered applying for discretionary housing payments to top up the benefit, local housing benefit department can explian how to apply in her area and if she is eligible.

kurjam

what are discretionary housing payments ???

Eager_Elephant

Discretionary Housing Payments are pots of money local councils are given by the government in order to top someone's Housing Benefit up if they can't meet the difference between HB and their rent.

You must be receiving some HB in order to qualify.

Ring your local council and ask for a form, some councils you only have to send a letter in others get you to fill in an income and expenditure and and explanation of why you can't meet your rent.

Most payments of DHP are only for a limited time to allow people to get on their feet.

It is always worth appealing, maybe send the letter in with proof of what you consider to be average rents and see if this will help.

EE