Housing Benefit for Mobile Homes

sandrajean1955 · 15 November 2012 at 6:17PM

I live in a mobile home, it's my only home. Until the Valuation Office Agency took over the Rent Office I was receiving full rent. Since the 'takeover' I no longer receive full rent. I claim for Ground Rent as I own the mobile home and, as an owner, am only entitled to the average Ground Rent for the area. If I was renting a mobile home in the area I would be entitled to FULL rent (up to £100 per week) and the person who rents out their mobile home are able to profit from this as the rent they can charge (and get) is MUCH higher than the ground rent they pay.

The VOA are sticking by their guns as they are following 'guidelines'. I have challenged their figures of 'average rent' & asked where they obtained the figures from. In spite of backing from my MP & a Tribunal they are able to hide behind the Data Protection Act so I have no way of establishing that their figures are ridiculous and have been plucked from thin air. My only way forward would be a Judicial one & I'm not capable of dealing with that.

My main question to you is: Can this be deemed as discrimination? ie: Do the 'guidelines', in fact, discriminate between owners that live in their mobile homes as opposed to rent paying tenants?

My MP has fully supported me & will continue to do so. If there is discrimination (something not taken lightly these days) I will contact my MP and inform him.

Thank you
Sandra

isplumm · 16 November 2012 at 11:08AM

Hi,

You really need to move this to the benefits forum part of this site - get a better response.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=139

Mark

jackyann · 16 November 2012 at 2:27PM

I would contact Shelter. They have a comprehensive knowledge of the law in both the housing benefits & discrimination area.

miduck · 16 November 2012 at 2:43PM

In order to claim discrimination, you need to demonstrate that you are being treated less favourably due to a protected characteristic, for instance sex, race, disability. I see no evidence of that.

What was the outcome of your tribunal?

CAB_National_Representative · 16 November 2012 at 5:06PM

sandrajean1955 wrote: »

............................
My main question to you is: Can this be deemed as discrimination? ie: Do the 'guidelines', in fact, discriminate between owners that live in their mobile homes as opposed to rent paying tenants?
.
.

Thank you
Sandra

Hi Sandra - we'd recommend that you contact your local bureau and arrange to talk with or see an adviser about this, and to get their advice on whether processes have been followed properly. We've also got a section on our Adviceguide website about discrimination, in case you're interested in looking through that.

custardy · 16 November 2012 at 6:35PM

sandrajean1955 wrote: »

I live in a mobile home, it's my only home. Until the Valuation Office Agency took over the Rent Office I was receiving full rent. Since the 'takeover' I no longer receive full rent. I claim for Ground Rent as I own the mobile home and, as an owner, am only entitled to the average Ground Rent for the area. If I was renting a mobile home in the area I would be entitled to FULL rent (up to £100 per week) and the person who rents out their mobile home are able to profit from this as the rent they can charge (and get) is MUCH higher than the ground rent they pay.

The VOA are sticking by their guns as they are following 'guidelines'. I have challenged their figures of 'average rent' & asked where they obtained the figures from. In spite of backing from my MP & a Tribunal they are able to hide behind the Data Protection Act so I have no way of establishing that their figures are ridiculous and have been plucked from thin air. My only way forward would be a Judicial one & I'm not capable of dealing with that.

My main question to you is: Can this be deemed as discrimination? ie: Do the 'guidelines', in fact, discriminate between owners that live in their mobile homes as opposed to rent paying tenants?

My MP has fully supported me & will continue to do so. If there is discrimination (something not taken lightly these days) I will contact my MP and inform him.

Thank you
Sandra

So you own your home.
it doesnt matter what other who rent get,nor what those who rent out their homes get.
its a different case altogether.
So what exactly is the issue? Are you saying your ground rent is higher than the local average?

fluffymovie · 19 November 2012 at 1:08PM

Hello

I personally don't think that the move from the Rent Service to the VOA is the reason that the local reference rent is lower. The way in which median rents is calculated has changed as a result of government policy and this is meaning that those who rent privately are seeing reductions.

I am surprised that your MP has not taken ownership of this. At my previous LA, we had a lot of mobile home ground rents and in almost all. the full rent was not being met having been met previously. the idea of the local housing allowance (which i know doesn't apply to mobile home ground rent) was to base rents on median rent figures but this has reduced to the 30th percentile. This has led to a reduction in local reference rents throughout the country.

Have you considered applying for a dhp?

Housing Benefit for Mobile Homes

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