13 week housing protection rule

Happydays3

Hello

We have put a claim in for housing benefit and was reading up on it..it says if we could afford rent when moved in we may qualify for full rent. For 13 weeks.
We haven't had this benefit before. Neither of us work now and I claim carers for my boy.
Would we be accepted for this?

NYM

This link explains the 'rule' Local Housing Allowance...

Where the LHA rate is less than your eligible rent, providing you or your household could afford to pay the rent when you entered the into rental agreement, your Housing Benefit will be calculated using the full eligible rent for the first 13 weeks of your claim. This 13 weeks protection does not apply if you have received Housing Benefit in the previous 52 weeks.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Happydays3 wrote: »

Hello

We have put a claim in for housing benefit and was reading up on it..it says if we could afford rent when moved in we may qualify for full rent. For 13 weeks.
We haven't had this benefit before. Neither of us work now and I claim carers for my boy.
Would we be accepted for this?

You will have to request this as most Housing Benefit Officers won't automatically award it. If you could afford the rent when you moved in and haven't claimed Housing Benefit for 52 weeks then the full rent will be used in the benefit calculation.

Happydays3

Thank you when u say claimed? I applied few months back for it but was rejected. Does that count as claimed?

marliepanda

Happydays3 wrote: »

Thank you when u say claimed? I applied few months back for it but was rejected. Does that count as claimed?

Have you lived there for over 12 months?

I'd say if you haven't actually qualified for HB you should be ok.

Happydays3

Yes been here year and a half

Housing_Benefit_Officer

marliepanda wrote: »

Have you lived there for over 12 months?

I'd say if you haven't actually qualified for HB you should be ok.

Doesn't have to have lived in the property for 12 months - just not claimed Housing Benefit in previous 52 weeks and could afford the rent when moved in. Someone could have moved in 4 weeks ago and then got sacked - they will get 13 weeks protection if they hadn't claimed HB in previous 52 weeks.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Happydays3 wrote: »

Thank you when u say claimed? I applied few months back for it but was rejected. Does that count as claimed?

Did they give a reason?