Local Housing Allowence

[Deleted User]

I'm not a regular on this board I'm afraid so if this is a repeat I'm sorry and pls feel free to re direct me.

Long story short.
I get housing benefit as I'm a single parent, I live in private rented and my rent is £475. I only get £412 H/B I pay the rest myself, this is because although I live in a 2 bed I have a dining room and it is classed as "space" I do not need therefore the house is classed as too big for me.

Today I've heard a little about Local Housung Allowence as its been introduced in my area, an I am told ( by a friend which i know is not always the most accurate palce to get info;) ) That I should claim LHA rather then H/B.

Now I've looked around on the net but it seems that I will not be assessed under the new system unless I move or stop claimimg H/B then out in another claim, which I can really do as I can't afford for there to be a "break" in my claim.

So I guess I'd like to know what otherr people know about LHA, if it means I would get a little more H/B and if I can "switch" over from H/B.
Does that make sense?

Many thanks in Advance
SL x

dmg24

Hi SL,

Welcome to the Benefits board! x

You are correct, you cannot choose between HB and LHA.

You can change if you have a break in your claim, but it seems that each LA is interpreting the length of the break differently. Some will allow a break of less than a week, some a month, and some will only allow the changeover if they can identify a true change in circumstances.

To find out how much you would be entitled to with LHA, have a look at this website. You will need to calculate how many rooms you are allowed, and then look at the corresponding rate.

Any other questions, just ask! x

[Deleted User]

Thanks for your quick reply. I'll look at the site now. I've had so many battles with the council about my H/B as they first told me I wasn't entitled to my full rent due to my house being over priced. So I looked around for another property and found the cheapest one in my area same size etc was actually around the £550 mark, which is waaayyy more expensive than mine,

So I wrote to them and explained I wanted it to be re assessed, as my house was actually very cheap for the area and was told it was due to the fact I had "extra space" I didn't need, IE my dining room, this is why the wouldn't pay full rent (Though the council told me if I knocked the wall down betwwen my kitchen and dining room it wouldn't count as extra space even though the size of the house would not change size how bizzare)

Anyway. I really can't afford to keep paying the extra I pay and I was hoping the new LHA might make a difference.

SL x

real1314

Everyone will be switched over to LHA over the 12 months up to April 09, it will be done automatically when you current rent assesment expires. The date for that will usually be the anniversary of the date you first claimed HB. You could find this out from your local HB dept.

mitchaa

Who says LHA will be more than HB though?

It may work against where LHA is under what you receive in HB?

dmg24

mitchaa wrote: »

Who says LHA will be more than HB though?

It may work against where LHA is under what you receive in HB?

Your first question is answered here:

dmg24 wrote: »

To find out how much you would be entitled to with LHA, have a look at this website. You will need to calculate how many rooms you are allowed, and then look at the corresponding rate.

Your second question does not make sense.

[Deleted User]

Real1314, Thanks for your post, I was only just re assessed, literally last week!

Mitchaa, your right I may work out worse, but I just went onto the link provided by DMG 24 and based on the info I put in it works out that I'd be entitled to £9 more per week, or £36per 4 weekly, which is alot to me, of course I'm not 100% sure of to the rules of LHA, this is why I posted on this board

[Deleted User]

dmg24 wrote: »

Your first question is answered here:



Your second question does not make sense.

I thought that too.

mitchaa

Apologies..Why does my 2nd question not make sense?

It only asks if someone can be WORSE off through the change?

Not sure why that doesn't make sense

[Deleted User]

mitchaa wrote: »

Apologies..Why does my 2nd question not make sense?

It only asks if someone can be WORSE off through the change?

Not sure why that doesn't make sense

Because if you read it out loud to yourself ( tis ok my I do it all the time, the kids think I'm mad) it doesn't sound right, but I think I got the jist!

SL x

mitchaa

Its how you're reading it you see

It was meant that switching over to LHA may not be a good move as you may be receiving more HB than what you qualify for through LHA.

So if your rent was £550, HB paid £480 and LHA assessment says £450 then its obviously not a good move.

(Not sure if this can happen, but this is what i was asking)