Accepted onto the housing register but won't be able to bid

Dave_606

Tskay wrote: »

Rent is £300 above LHA but early this year we had to go on Universal Credit so it might have changed. Yesterday I checked the Local Housing Allowance rates website to calculate how much LHA is for a 3 bedroom property. Our Universal Credit claim began on January 2019 and based on that website, it says the LHA for a 3-bed is £295.59 a week which means that that rent is £317.64 above LHA.

Wow, that's a hell of a difference, I assume the rent being £317.64 above the LHA is per month?. So nearly £80 above the LHA per week if so?, definitely a financial hardship claim for a decent band rating for bidding I'd have thought?. I'd be surprised if suitably housed doesn't take into account financial hardship for which clearly you must be suffering from.

Caz3121

Tskay wrote: »

it says the LHA for a 3-bed is £295.59 a week which means that that rent is £317.64 above LHA.

assuming your rent is £1500 per month (and not £1598.53)
LHA of £295.59 would work out at £1280.89 per month so your topup would be £219.11
there are more than 4 weeks in a month

Tskay

Dave_606 wrote: »

Wow, that's a hell of a difference, I assume the rent being £317.64 above the LHA is per month?. So nearly £80 above the LHA per week if so?, definitely a financial hardship claim for a decent band rating for bidding I'd have thought?. I'd be surprised if suitably housed doesn't take into account financial hardship for which clearly you must be suffering from.

They said they couldn't help me with that

Dave_606

Tskay wrote: »

They said they couldn't help me with that

Surely financial hardship is a qualifying criteria for a higher band rating for bidding?. I know it is in my area, if they are saying its not I'd be asking them to say why in writing financial hardship is not a factor to both get on the property pool and a higher band rating. Unless of cause your household has other income, ie if any children are of working age and earning?.

Tskay

Dave_606 wrote: »

Surely financial hardship is a qualifying criteria for a higher band rating for bidding?. I know it is in my area, if they are saying its not I'd be asking them to say why in writing financial hardship is not a factor to both get on the property pool and a higher band rating. Unless of cause your household has other income, ie if any children are of working age and earning?.

They said it's a housing benefit issue and that I should speak to them.

Dave_606

Tskay wrote: »

They said it's a housing benefit issue and that I should speak to them.

Surely not, as your getting the maximum LHA already so its not a benefits issue or anything they can help you with. Perhaps discretionary housing payments for the short term is something that can be claimed?. Are the council even aware your already claiming the maximum LHA?, if so they are passing the problem on instead of helping like they should. Maybe they can even assess the property and inform the landlord the rent is way to high?. Either way by default the fact that your rent shortfall is that much you must be classed as a financial hardship case and should be a high band rating. How are you even paying the shortfall?, has this been put before the council to show how your seriously struggling?.

Tskay

Dave_606 wrote: »

Surely not, as your getting the maximum LHA already so its not a benefits issue or anything they can help you with. Perhaps discretionary housing payments for the short term is something that can be claimed?. Are the council even aware your already claiming the maximum LHA?, if so they are passing the problem on instead of helping like they should. Maybe they can even assess the property and inform the landlord the rent is way to high?. Either way by default the fact that your rent shortfall is that much you must be classed as a financial hardship case and should be a high band rating. How are you even paying the shortfall?, has this been put before the council to show how your seriously struggling?.

Yes, discretionary housing payments is the only option I have when it comes to that. When I contacted housing about it they said I can't claim Financial Housing based on that, I should contact the Housing Benefit team instead.