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Local Housing Allowance
Do you rent your home from a private landlord?
Local Housing Allowance will be in effect from 7 April 2008
This may change how your Housing Benefit is paid
Local Housing Allowance will make it easier for tenants to find out in advance how much rent might be covered by their benefit. Local Housing Allowance is a flat rate allowance based on household size and location. Tenants living in similar circumstances will receive similar amounts.
If you make a new claim for Housing Benefit on or after 7 April 2008 for a home that is rented from a private landlord, any entitlement will be worked out using the Local Housing Allowance rates.
If you are already getting Housing Benefit on the 7 April 2008, you will not be affected by these changes unless:
- You move to an address rented from a private landlord
- You have a break in your claim – If you stop claiming Housing Benefit for any reason for a period of one benefit week (for example you start work) any new claim for benefit will be worked out using the Local Housing Allowance rates.
Local Housing Allowance will be paid to the tenant in the majority of cases
As a tenant you are responsible for paying your rent to your landlord.
If you do not pay the rent, your landlord may apply to the Local Authority to have your Local Housing Allowance paid direct to them, or they may take other action to recover any arrears of rent.
Circumstances when benefit may be paid to the landlord
Payment may be made direct to the landlord when the Local Authority decides that the tenant is:
- likely to have difficulty in managing their financial affairs,
- unlikely to pay their rent
- 8 weeks or more in arrears
The tenant, tenant's families or persons/carers/support workers acting on the tenant's behalf and landlords, may tell the Local Authority that the tenant is having difficulty paying their rent, or are 8 weeks or more in arrears.
Who decides if we may pay the landlord?
We decide if we may pay the landlord. We must have evidence to show that the tenant is having difficulty managing their money and that it is in their interest that we pay the landlord directly. Evidence should usually be in writing.
Once we have collected evidence we will decide as quickly as possible if direct payments to the landlord are appropriate.
We will write to the tenant and explain our decision.
We will also write to the landlord.
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If you would like more information on Local Housing Allowance and the changes to Housing Benefit, you can:
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