Local Housing allowance

crazygaijin

novazombie wrote: »

How does it work deciding how many rooms altogether.

So a couple with a baby would have a LHA for 2 bedroom place but what about living rooms?

So in centre of London its 540 per week. Will that be payable for ANY 2bed room flat? (if they qualify)

It will make a difference if the property has 2 living rooms. Or anyone could call a 3 bedroom place a 2 bed with 2 living rooms.

The forms are very specific, asking exactly how many rooms altogether.

I am amazed they will pay 540 a week for a 2 bed place in London. Surely you could get something cheaper than that?

Oldernotwiser

crazygaijin wrote: »

I am amazed they will pay 540 a week for a 2 bed place in London. Surely you could get something cheaper than that?

I'm sure they could but why would anyone bother when the system is stupid enough to pay this amount?

novazombie

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm sure they could but why would anyone bother when the system is stupid enough to pay this amount?

So true.
What about all those people in Camden with green hair tattoos and spikes stuck through their noses?

Can they really get 540 per week to rent a luxury flat?

lil_me

You could live in a house with 5 living rooms, but if you were entitled to 2 bedroom allowance that is what you would get and have to make up the rest yourself.

Yes if the person (regardless of tattoos, green hair etc you speak of) is entitled to 2 bedroom and able to claim then they can claim the current rate of LHA, so if that is £540 then that is what it is (which is more than what it is a MONTH here)

novazombie

So if you found a place with multiple rooms, and you called it 2 bedrooms and 5 or so living rooms, and it was within the 540 week within cen Lon, Then they would still pay because its classed as2 bed?

lil_me

novazombie wrote: »

So if you found a place with multiple rooms, and you called it 2 bedrooms and 5 or so living rooms, and it was within the 540 week within cen Lon, Then they would still pay because its classed as2 bed?

No, it's not classed as a 2 bedroom, you're entitled to 2 bedrooms, so no matter what size you choose you are entitled to the 2 bedroom rate towards your rent. If the house had 2 bedrooms and one living room you're entitled to 2 bedroom rate, if the house has 7 bedrooms and 4 living rooms you're entitled to the 2 bedroom rate.

If what you are paying in rent is more than you are entitled to, you have to make the difference up yourself and if it's more than your rent eg if it was £500 not £540 you would get £15 more than the rent, so £515, and keep the £15.

FieryBlondeScot

i recieve £34 child tax credit and £60 JSA, and it appears the CTC has been used as excess income in my housing benefit application, is this right? they calculate that on a 1 bed flat (for me and 18 year old son) the rent is £595, i have to pay £15 of the rent myself and £9 of the council tax. my flat was assessed as a 2 bed rate of LHA which is £184.62 per week? is this right? meaning i pay the £24 out of my CTC?

after reading this thread earlier i thought i would get £15 more!!! especially as i technically do not even hav a bedroom for myself!!

Oldernotwiser

FieryBlondeScot wrote: »

i recieve £34 child tax credit and £60 JSA, and it appears the CTC has been used as excess income in my housing benefit application, is this right? they calculate that on a 1 bed flat (for me and 18 year old son) the rent is £595, i have to pay £15 of the rent myself and £9 of the council tax. my flat was assessed as a 2 bed rate of LHA which is £184.62 per week? is this right? meaning i pay the £24 out of my CTC?

after reading this thread earlier i thought i would get £15 more!!! especially as i technically do not even hav a bedroom for myself!!

Could you please clarify which of your figures are monthly and which are weekly, as it's a bit confusing at the moment.

FieryBlondeScot

hi
the CTC is weekly, JSA also weekly
£595 rent per month
council tax is £97 per month

i have been awarded £122.74 housing benefit per week (rent weekly works out at £137

awarded 9.32 council tax benefit per week (council tax weekly works out at £18.42)

so you can see i have to make up a shortfall of £15 rent per week an £9 council tax to pay myself. from reading the letters it seems this is because theycount my £34 child tax credit as 'earnings', would this be right? amreally panicking as to how i am to pay everything! :eek:

Oldernotwiser

Are you on HB or LHA and is your son in education? (If so, what level?) Sorry for all the questions.