housing benefit come up short

[miliitant]

Re: housing benefit come up short

its a private rental

[enaid]

Re: housing benefit come up short

its a private rental

Then these rules will apply

http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_ad...sing_allowance

[jax50]

Re: housing benefit come up short

Councils don't pay the actual rent. The payment is based on an area 'average' for similar properties (one bedroom, 2 bedroom etc), which are held on a national database.This is called the Local Housing Allowance (LHA)..and can be found on the web. for your area
The range of rents on this database maybe (say) from £200 to £1000 for example...but the housing benefit calculation is based on the 30th percentile of this range...ie not the lowest , but the amount 30% up from the bottom, or 70% down from the top..whatever way you want to look at it. It used to be the 'mid-point', but the Govt cut this to save money as part of the overall benefit cuts.

The payment can not be higher than what you are actually paying in rent.

Also, if you live alone, yet rent a 2 bedroom property, your benefit is assessed on a one bedroom property.

Age limits apply to younger people.

Regardless of the 30th percentile figure, there is a maximum amount payable anyway...

So that's the calculation of the payment.

Next up, is your earnings. There is a limit you can earn without starting to lose some of the Housing benefit.

Depending on your circumstances (single, married, children )..but a single adult is allowed something like £137 pw before losing some of the HB.

For every £1.00 you earn over this figure, your HB is reduced by 65p.


So, an example

Weekly earnings (net) £200.00
Allowed earnings £137.00
excess (£63.00)

65% (£ 40.95)

Weekly Rent £100.00
Allowed rent £ 75.00

benefit paid...
Allowed rent £75.00
less excess (£40.95)
Actual HB paid £34.05 pw

So your rent is £100.00
less HB (£34.05)
So you have to find £65.95pw

That's the principle of it anyway...