Local Housing Allowance (LHA) quandary

bankypanky

I have been a tenant of a private landlord for ten years this June. He has just told me that, on his inspection, the (unfurnished) flat needs a quite major refurb and is not habitable until this has been done - I agree, it has needed work for a while.

He has agreed that I can move to another of his unfurnished properties in the same area which is great except that this new property costs £1050 per month which is £50 over the LHA for the area. As I have to move through no fault of my own (and maybe as my tenancy is with the same property company?) is there any way of being made exempt from the new rules surrounding LHA? i.e. could the HB people take into account my full rent for the new address and not just the £1000 which is the LHA for the area?

I should add that he has given me a year's tenancy agreement for the new property. As I am moving and don't want to have to move all my furniture and other property twice in the space of a few months, I am fairly sure I will stay in the new property and not move back to the old.

I am visiting the HB office tomorrow so any advice would be very welcome! Thanks

dmg24

The new regulations are very clear on this point, a move of address will trigger a move to LHA. As most moves are not by choice, I doubt your situation would be classed as exceptional.

Do you know for sure that if you stayed on HB the full £1050 would be covered?

sjaypink

a grand a month for a flat! :eek: ............ more social housing would save so much money in hb/ lha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lil_me

sjaypink wrote: »

a grand a month for a flat! :eek: ............ more social housing would save so much money in hb/ lha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good point there actually, £250 a week is the rate for inner London (here it's about £60)

You could apply for DHPs, no doubt the council will give the same advice.

DaisyFlower

sjaypink wrote: »

a grand a month for a flat! :eek: ............ more social housing would save so much money in hb/ lha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder if people would actually pay that much themselves if HB didnt pay it?

sjaypink

DaisyFlower wrote: »

I wonder if people would actually pay that much themselves if HB didnt pay it?

no, well i wouldnt want to live most of the private rents round here even if we did get hb. not for some of the sh*tholes they rent out to those on benefits. in my town a lot of the landlords wouldnt be able to charge half the prices to private tenants that hey do to the social tenants. scandal. they know there is not enough housing so they charge the same price for their slum as a plush pad in a nice area. still they wouldn't own so many propertities if they had a social concience (sp) would they.....

bankypanky

DaisyFlower wrote: »

I wonder if people would actually pay that much themselves if HB didnt pay it?

Feeling a little offended here, daisy flower! I DO in fact pay the bulk of that rent myself.:p HB pay a contribution. I am a single parent WORKING FULL-TIME. I have worked full-time continuously since I left university. If I were able to get a mortgage on my salary then don't you think I would rather do that and have something to show for my hard work? As it is, I work hard all day and put money 'down the drain' to a private landlord. Check out the rental prices in West London, you'll see it is not unusually high.

I'm really surprised to see that there are some people (DaisyFlower?) who just like to come to this forum and kick people when they are down. I would like to stand up for those people who are forced to claim benefits for a period in their lives. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun to sit on a broken plastic chair in a dirty benefits office for up to an hour and a half at a time just to have someone treat you like you were dirt on their shoe. It has NEVER been my lifestyle choice but neither is it something I am ashamed of.

Thank you to the others for your helpful comments and thoughts. Maybe I should move further out of London for a cheaper rent (long commute to work when you can't afford a car though...!:j xx)