Does HB change to LHA if circumstances change?

ajaxgeezer

I know that all new private rentals will be now be assessed under LHA, but what constitutes a "new claim"?

Is it only for wholly new contracts, or would HB change to LHA for a new claim on a current rental, eg the landlord's annual rent review?

cheers.

Benefits_Blagger

anyone already on HB or claimed for HB before the 7th, will still get HB unless they are better off on LHA. claimaints remain on HB until LHA pay a greater amout, at which point they will be transferred to LHA.

ajaxgeezer

Benefits_Blagger wrote: »

anyone already on HB or claimed for HB before the 7th, will still get HB unless they are better off on LHA. claimaints remain on HB until LHA pay a greater amout, at which point they will be transferred to LHA.

... ta very much, BB. Your nick suggests a strong knowledge of the subject matter, mind if I PM you?

Benefits_Blagger

ajaxgeezer wrote: »

... ta very much, BB. Your nick suggests a strong knowledge of the subject matter, mind if I PM you?

feel free:beer:

babyfoxy

Benefits_Blagger wrote: »

anyone already on HB or claimed for HB before the 7th, will still get HB unless they are better off on LHA. claimaints remain on HB until LHA pay a greater amout, at which point they will be transferred to LHA.

this is my first post, so hope this works!

I just spoke to my LA who say that I will remain on HB until a "change in circumstances" when I could then reapply for LHA. As I would benefit a lot from changing (current rent higher than rent officer but lower than LHA) I'd be really interested in knowing how to change ? Please can you advise - they told me to look at DWP site which I have but doesnt seem to cover existing tenants in my situation

f

Fred1_2

Benefits_Blagger wrote: »

anyone already on HB or claimed for HB before the 7th, will still get HB unless they are better off on LHA. claimaints remain on HB until LHA pay a greater amout, at which point they will be transferred to LHA.

That sounds like great news, do you know what the tenant needs to do to make the change. I've suggested to my tenant that she look into it as it would give her an extra £50 per month - not to be sneezed at.

Bungarm2001

"That sounds like great news, do you know what the tenant needs to do to make the change. I've suggested to my tenant that she look into it as it would give her an extra £50 per month - not to be sneezed at."

Tell them to go to the CAB or better still, back to the office that dealt with their original claim for HB. They should be more than willing to help.

Don't forget though that LHA is payable to the TENANT and not directly to the LL anymore unless the tenant puts in writing that they want the rent paid direct.

Fred1_2

Bungarm2001 wrote: »

"That sounds like great news, do you know what the tenant needs to do to make the change. I've suggested to my tenant that she look into it as it would give her an extra £50 per month - not to be sneezed at."

Tell them to go to the CAB or better still, back to the office that dealt with their original claim for HB. They should be more than willing to help.

Don't forget though that LHA is payable to the TENANT and not directly to the LL anymore unless the tenant puts in writing that they want the rent paid direct.

LHA being paid to the tenant is not an issue in my case, her HB already is. I insisted on that because I didn't want to be liable to pay the council back any overpayment if there were a cockup in the claim.

I've found this on my local council's website;

Who will be affected by Local Housing Allowance?
Not every Housing Benefit recipient will be affected straight away. Tenants who claim Housing Benefit will not have their claim assessed under the new rules until they fall into one of the following groups.

• Anyone who makes a new claim for Housing Benefit after 7th April 2008 - never claimed HB before.
• Any existing HB claim which has a break in it after 7th April 2008 – even if it's just 1 day.
• Anyone already claiming Housing Benefit who changes address after 7th April 2008 – includes a change of room or flat within a property.

The second one looks like it could be a goer. Can you just say that you don't want HB anymore on the Monday and then put in a fresh claim on the Wednesday? If so, it prob would be worth losing a day's HB for most people.

Bungarm2001

"The second one looks like it could be a goer. Can you just say that you don't want HB anymore on the Monday and then put in a fresh claim on the Wednesday? If so, it prob would be worth losing a day's HB for most people."

Sounds like a goer alright, but when one of my tenants on HB asked to do this, they were told no.

The reason given was that the LHA would be lower than the HB BUT we don't believe them. In every other area that we have rentals in, the LHA has invariably been higher than HB.

We are currently getting information about local rents and what the LHA are now paying for similar properties to ours in that area. I would be very interested if your tenant manages to do this as it will help mine out tremendously.

Fred1_2

My local council publishes the LHA rates on its website. I guess yours would do the same?

Bungarm2001

Fred1...they haven't...yet!

Mostly their website is down or the relevant pages are under construction.

They aren't the quickest of councils, nor are they the most helpful to LL's and tenants alike. :mad:

We thought it would be an easy thing for her to switch over from HB since the AST ran out mid-March. We were quite happy to leave her in the house rent free if it came to it until the 7th April, when we would have started a new AST with her getting LHA, or so we thought. Whoever she spoke to at the council told her it was no-go. Therefore, we have left her on a periodic tenancy until we can get this sorted out.