Housing Benifit - Local Housing Allowance

Spanglebelt

Re:-Is £395 the relevant amount for a one bedroom property, and how much is your rent? Are you on HB or LHA?

It may be possible to receive a Discretionary Housing Payment to make up for any different in rent. Your council will be able to give you an application form for this.

Reply:- HI, I am in reciept of hb at the moment but i was not given the full award due to this property not being suitable for my disability, it is on the 1st floor. And i have just found a property that is ground floor two bedroomed which is perfect for me, the rent there is 525.00, and i am able to put 50.00 towards the rent a month but dont know how to apply for the difference, when we spoke to a customer service advisor in hb, they told me and my support worker there are no suppliments available.

I have been told thet the 395.00 is for a single person allowance, and that is all that i am able to get, even if i am in a 2 bedroomed place and that the second room is required for a carer.

But thanks for your speedy response. x

emsywoo123

Oh I have a quick question on this subject if I may.......
I am currently on Income support and full HB. Next week I go back to work, and so my claim will be re-assessed. I called the council to see if I will be transferred to LHA, and the lady really did not know (helpful!) does anybody here have any ideas?
Many thanks.

mitchaa

Spanglebelt wrote: »

I have been told thet the 395.00 is for a single person allowance, and that is all that i am able to get, even if i am in a 2 bedroomed place and that the second room is required for a carer.

I would have thought this would be the case if you were on high rate care?

I may be wrong? Perhaps you are on high rate care?

dmg24

mitchaa wrote: »

I would have thought this would be the case if you were on high rate care?

I may be wrong? Perhaps you are on high rate care?

The issue here is whether the DWP deem that the OP needs care overnight, and what the OP needs in reality. In this case, the OP needs overnight care, but perhaps not on a sufficient frequency to be eligible for higher rate care.

Spanglebelt, who arranges the overnight care for you? Do you receive Direct Payments? If you were to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment, a letter from your GP (and/ or specialist) and social services (if they are involved) would certainly help your case x

lil_me

Unfortunately they don't usually class needing overnight care as a need for an additional bedroom, a lady I know locally has been battling the same thing for years for her son as he's trying to live independantly with carers provided partly by Direct Payments coming in, they have said that he's still just entitled to one bedroom as they don't 'live' there and if he wished to claim they did it'd be classed as a joint claim etc etc such a PITA for them.

dmg is right about the DHP, they aren't guaranteed, there is no right of appeal but it's worth a try. I wouldn't however take on a tenancy I couldn't afford if I was a person relying on DHP as a top up.

Alleycat

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Oh I have a quick question on this subject if I may.......
I am currently on Income support and full HB. Next week I go back to work, and so my claim will be re-assessed. I called the council to see if I will be transferred to LHA, and the lady really did not know (helpful!) does anybody here have any ideas?
Many thanks.

From what I understand, you will only be transferred onto the LHA if there is a break in your claim or a new tenancy is created (i.e. you move). It will be a couple of years before the government conduct a review of the scheme to assess whether existing claimants should be transferred over.

Alleycat

Spanglebelt wrote: »

Hi I was reading your forum and was wondering, as I am a disabled woman who needs a spare room for my carer, what supplements are available for people in my situation who are being told that they are only going to get 395. As a total award,
I am in receipt of high rate mobility for the dla, middle rate care, incapacity ben and income support.
Even my support worker has been advised by a customer service advisor that that is the total allowance.

I have a carer who comes in every day and also she stays over twice a week. Can you please help?

According to the LHA blurb, single claimants under or over 25 with a severe disablement premium in their housing benefit assessment will qualify for the one bedroom rate regardless of the size of their accommodation.

Spanglebelt

dear dmg24, i am reciving direct payments and i have recently applied for the higher rate care from dla, i am awaiting a response. I have not taken the tennancy as yet, i have an appointment with housing later today. i hope this goes well. The person whom i spoke to in housing benefit orrigionally was quite curt at telling me it is th esingleperson allowance i will get, but she refused to give me any other information with regards to premiums and discressionary housing. I will certainly get my dr and social services to give me letters to accompany my claim.

I have done a search on the net with regards to what the average rent for 1 bedroomed flats in the area of my new flat is and it is 510.00. how can the housing benefit say that 395 is enough, i wonder what measures they have set in place for the homlessness that this new benefit will create in the local area. :eek:

Again thank you for all your help. once i have come back from the meeting today i will let you all know what i have found out, if there is anything new and interesting that is. I will also speak to social services and see what they know. x

Spanglebelt

dear lil-me What is a "PITA" i have never heard of this. x

dmg24

Spanglebelt wrote: »

dear lil-me What is a "PITA" i have never heard of this. x

I didn't know this one either, but I'm going to guess a PITA is a pain in the, erm, you know where?!

Hope it goes well at the housing office. I've just realised that in all the times that I have spoken to our local offices (for three different LA's), not once has anybody mentioned that DHP's exist. Whilst I am sure that there are some cracking housing officers out there, it does make you wonder if some people want to help? x

(I like smileys today!)