Living on benefits

Blackpool_Saver

If you are still on the LHA system that is how they work it out, the amount of bedrooms required (private tenants) many are no longer on that system.
There are a lot of people who believe that people on benefits get all their rent and council tax paid for them, that is not, as a blanket statement true. It goes on the individuals circumstances and the type of tenancy.

Mark_Norville

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

If you are still on the LHA system that is how they work it out, the amount of bedrooms required (private tenants) many are no longer on that system.
There are a lot of people who believe that people on benefits get all their rent and council tax paid for them, that is not, as a blanket statement true. It goes on the individuals circumstances and the type of tenancy.

Indeed, I have said about legacy benefits and then also universal credit payments. Sadly universal credit is going to a minefield when it comes to housing, especially during sanctions. However, I believe that the local councils will still help in those circumstances and they can still pay the rent due to zero income so in the end they still need to apply to the Government for housing payment.

I am not sure if this would apply for private rented but hopefully it will, otherwise a lot of people are going to suffer and face being homeless, especially if the DWP keep sanctioning people for no reason.

Blackpool_Saver

How much rent will Universal Credit pay?
?
Did you know?
If you’re moving from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit, you will continue to get Housing Benefit for two weeks after your UC claim starts to reduce the risk of rent arrears.

The Universal Credit housing element is designed to cover some or all of your rent payments. How much you get depends on where you live, the size of your home and whether you’re a private or social tenant.

If you rent privately, your housing costs are based on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) for your area. For example, if you’re single and have no dependent children, the LHA will be based on the cost of renting a one bedroom flat.

Housing costs for social tenants is based on your eligible rent. If it’s decided you have more bedrooms than you actually need, your eligible rent will be reduced.

You will be responsible for using this money to pay your landlord.

Mark_Norville

It will still be roughly around the same amount that you was paid via legacy benefits, but the problem now is that it is no longer in the hands of local council, it is the Government, it will also be down to region, London, South East being the highest paid for rents.

Sadly universal credit is going to be a worrying thing for people whom get sanctioned, especially if their appeal gets turned down. If all of your UC gets stopped including your housing element a lot of people are going to be in a lot of trouble.

poppy12345

Mark_Norville wrote: »

Sadly universal credit is going to be a worrying thing for people whom get sanctioned, especially if their appeal gets turned down. If all of your UC gets stopped including your housing element a lot of people are going to be in a lot of trouble.

If a claimant is sanctioned the deductions come from the standard allowance only and not from any other elements.

calcotti

poppy12345 wrote: »

If a claimant is sanctioned the deductions come from the standard allowance only and not from any other elements.

Unfortunately I don't think that's strictly correct. UC is one benefit made up of the various elements and the elements are ring fenced. The amount of sanction is a proportion of the standard allowance only. However if the amount of UC payable has been reduced from the maximum entitlement by earnings and the remaining standard allowance is less than the sanction then the sanction will effectively erode the housing element (or other elements as the case my be).

[Deleted User]

Yup my neighbour got sanctioned and their housing element was paid as normal.

[Deleted User]

Although as Poppy says it depends on the sanction ultimately.

poppy12345

See link and scroll to "rate of sanction" http://benefitsaware.centralenglandlc.org.uk/universal-credit-sanctions/


I'm sure someone like calcotti or Alice will quote the UC reg for this and prove that i am actually correct and i didn't make it up.

sheramber

Mark_Norville wrote: »

Do you have a source of reference for that information or have you made it up? I have been searching for the answer to that question for a number of months, and I could not find any information to say that.

I hope that you are correct, however as I have not seen it officially myself while searching for that information, I prefer to air on the side of caution, until I know something is fact and that it is black and white from an official source.

Google has the answer
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit-Sanctions/How-much-will-a-Universal-Credit-sanction-be