Local Housing allowance

RDB

Is there a way to find out the maximum amount of LHA you are entitled to?

I am in a LHA area and I would like to find out more info but its not so easy.

The more I read the more conflicting views I get.

some say it depends on number of people (dependants) in household and some say it depends on how many rooms in the house and where it is ect.

Does anyone know where I can get accurate information about this?

dmg24

LHA is based on the amount of people in the household, HB was/ is more complex. The housing dept at your local council should be able to tell you, or your local Rent Service office?

krisskross

dmg24 wrote: »

LHA is based on the amount of people in the household, HB was/ is more complex. The housing dept at your local council should be able to tell you, or your local Rent Service office?

I didn't realise that. Would that mean for instance that a lone pensioner in a 3 bedroomed house (not unheard of) would not have all their housing costs paid?

dmg24

krisskross wrote: »

I didn't realise that. Would that mean for instance that a lone pensioner in a 3 bedroomed house (not unheard of) would not have all their housing costs paid?

Don't know if the rules are different for pensioners, but if they are not, they may qualify for a discretionary payment. Even with HB, eligible rent takes into account how many rooms a person is 'allowed' (again, I'm not sure if this is different for pensioners).

Also, if LHA is more than the rent, the claimant gets to keep the difference! I don't imagine this would happen often, but there was a case of it mentioned on here a while back.

Just checked the DWP website, and it says:

LHA is based on rent levels for the area in which a person lives and how many people live with them.

takoo

I have had problems in getting to the heart of LHA. My finding so far are (but they are subject to change as I get deeper into LHA):

1. You must be a tenant of a private landlord.
2. You must meet certain benefit criteria.
3. LHA is paid on the number of rooms that you need for the number of persons in your household.
4. That is LHA you get does not depend on the actual number for rooms in your dwelling.
5. Also the LHA you get does not depend on the rent that you pay.
6. LHA is in effect set by the Rent Service for your area.
7. It is the median rent (roughly midddle) of the range of rents in the area.
8. The area is known as the broad market rental area (BMRA) of which there are (I seem to recall) about 200 to 350 but the number is likely to change.
9. I understand that the Rent officer surveys his always being updated recordsfor the rents in the BMRA.
10. He then gets the median rent from the list of rents for each 'size' of dwelling.
11. For each BMRA a list is published, esentially to local councils, for dwellings upto six rooms.
12. A family that needs more rooms should get a higher LHA by a 'claim'.
13. If you need six rooms you get the LHA for six rooms even though your dwelling has say three rooms.
14. If you receive more LHA than the rent you pay you keep the difference.
15. Information should be available in your BMRA for calculating need for rooms and the LHA ( the CAB, local council (housing office) or the Rent Service office)

Hope this makes it sense and helps.

Takoo

takoo

I missed the point about pensioners.

I understand that persons of 60 years or more who have more than the £16,000 capital limit may get LHA provided they get "the guarantee of credit pension credit" but I am not familiar with the detail on this(!).

Takoo

seven-day-weekend

AFAIK, people on Housing Benefit do not get all their rent paid if the house has more rooms than deemed necessary (and a corresponding rent). So I don't think a pensioner in a large house (unless it's a Council house) would get all their rent paid.

This new Benefit (LHA) appears to me to give people more choice, although it is still based on the number of rooms, because if a tenant can find a place that is less than the LHA for that size of property,they can keep the change.

Don't know if it works like that in practise.

PasturesNew

If they published a calculator online, it'd make things so much simpler.
As it is, I bet they've got massive forms and secret/hidden calculations they have to make... making the process stressful, long-winded and complex to work out.

Not to mention it requiring expensive staff/buildings/leaflets/etc to run the department. The way they usually do things.

IMHO you should be able to just quickly key in a couple of bits of information onto a website and look up about what you could be expected to receive, to help people planning a downturn in their circumstances in time... and helping those who have suddenly found out they're being laid off.

It's not a lot of help if you lose your job, then it takes 3 months for them to write back to you to tell you that you're going to be "short" of your rent by £300/month is it! If you'd known that on Day 1 (or sooner), you'd have made plans to move maybe.

RDB

Thanks all. Yes a calculator would be great like the one on entitledto.

Takoo have you 'got deeper into' LHA?

Is it possible to find out the amount for any given situation in any different location?

suelees1

Try this site

http://england.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-7372.cfm

suelees1

Just to say every LA has different rates so the amounts should be on each council's website (if they are one of the pathfinder councils).

These LHA's are rolled out nationwide from April although some LA's are piloting this already.

One of the reasons it was brought in by the govt was so it would supposedly be transparent so if you have any queries at all your council should be able to tell you exactly what you will receive.

In our area at least, claimants will only migrate over to LHA when there is a new claim for benefit. Those already in receipt of HB will remain on this until there is a break in their claim. I don't know for how long this will be as I don't know enough about it yet.

Here's a link to the DWP website and from there there are subsequent links to the current pathfinder authorities. You can then find out the amounts being paid in the various localities.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/lha/bgtolha.asp#pathfinder