housing benefit deductions

[pebs]

Hi,

 

Does anyone have an idea of the approx amount of housing benefit that is reduced if you have one more bedroom than is needed? (private landlord)

[puzz1ed1]

It depends where you live. They will decide how many rooms you should need, and then base any calculations on the average price of houses that size in your area. This is changing, though, and will be more transparent under the new system.

 

If you pay 800pcm for a 3-bed house but the average rent for 2-bed houses in the area is 650pm you will automatically have to find that extra 150 - they effectively work out all further caluculations as though your monthly rent is lower of the two figures.

 

Hope that makes sense,

 

Steve

[The GodMother]

they also bas the benefit rate on the rates for council propertys and then anything over that you have to pay.

 

So if a council 2 bed house is £50.00 a week you will get £50.00 a week benefit.

 

council tax benefit is based on a A rated property and if your property is a different rating then u need to pay the extra.

 

Chrissi

[robin9342]

they also bas the benefit rate on the rates for council propertys and then anything over that you have to pay.

 

So if a council 2 bed house is £50.00 a week you will get £50.00 a week benefit.

 

council tax benefit is based on a A rated property and if your property is a different rating then u need to pay the extra.

 

Chrissi

Thats not correct at all. The maximum rent for a particular type of property is set by the rent officer taking in to account the 'market' rent for the area. For example, 2-bed flats (private) in my area cost from £375 to over £600. My council will pay up to £470. If I chose to live in a more luxurious flat, then I would have to pay the difference. It is not based on council rent values.

 

Likewise, the council tax benefit will be paid in full unless you live in a property larger than your needs. For example, my property is band B and I receive full CTB.

[pebs]

It depends where you live. They will decide how many rooms you should need, and then base any calculations on the average price of houses that size in your area. This is changing, though, and will be more transparent under the new system.

 

If you pay 800pcm for a 3-bed house but the average rent for 2-bed houses in the area is 650pm you will automatically have to find that extra 150 - they effectively work out all further caluculations as though your monthly rent is lower of the two figures.

 

Hope that makes sense,

 

Steve

 

 

Yes that makes perfect sense...Thanks!

[21stcentury]

I have to state that the housing benefit system is a very complex procedure.

 

The rent is assessed by the Independant valuers office which is not linked to the council, they set values based on Current market conditions on private tenancies only. They DONOT take into account council tenancies. They give their valuation and you have 28days to ask for an appeal of the decision if you think it is wrong.

 

If you are indeed in a property that is too big for you, I feel you have 2options. Firstly you can either move on to somewhere smaller, or you can ask for a DHP a Discretionary Housing Payment, which is where the council make the difference between the benefit being received and the rent charged. I have to state that this is completely upto the council weather or not they award this additional benefit.

 

As for the council tax benefit, if you are on what is called a passport benefit(income support & job seekers) then you will qualify for full council tax benefit, regardless of size.

[pebs]

We are in reciept of working tax credit and child tax credit so will not get full housing benefit anyway but the house has one room more than we need, however we do have my husbands 2 children (girl and a boy) staying at weekends so could do with the extra room.

I put a pre tenancy determination form in last week but have not had a reply yet.

[21stcentury]

If you are receiving working tax credit you wont qualify for the DHP, The pre tenancy determination should be done anyday now. I would keep on top of them possibly call them. When it gets to your husbands 2children staying at weekends did you put that on the form? If so the rent assessed will be on your circumstances and will show you exactly what you qualify for.

 

Well done for going down the route of the pre tenancy determination, I have lots of tenants that just move in and say they can afford and dont think ahead what their finances are.

 

Hope you get the house and it works out for you, you seem like a sensible and good tenant.

 

Derek

[pebs]

Yes I put everything on the form.

 

Thanks for all your advice.

[Joa]

If you are receiving working tax credit you wont qualify for the DHP

 

Derek

 

Technically- wrong, unless it is some kind of informal local policy. Eligibility for DHP is only restricted to whether client is in receipt of HB- nothing else.

[The GodMother]

well it does actually depend on were you live. Robin9342 this is actually correct information based on were l live as we have had housing benefit rates capped as we live in a very low income area were most of us are on benefits. So the information l gave is correct.

 

The same with CTB. We have had this capped for the same reasons. Also the OP has not stated were they live so any information that we give may not be relivate to were they live anyway.

 

We dont have indapendaant valuers that tell the council how much the propertys are worth in this area the rent officer comes out and assess the property then will say what HB/CTB you are entitled to due to the cap in the HB/CTB capped rates.

 

Chrissi

[Joa]

well it does actually depend on were you live.

No, it does not. The only exception are Local Allowance areas but they would not apply to CTB anyway. The way the HB is assessed (LA excepted) is standard nationwide.

[The GodMother]

Well i have everything in writing from my council on how they assess eveything so l no what l have put is correct.

 

Chrissi

[21stcentury]

Now there is no need to argue, all the information regarding benefits and how they are allocated are available on the local councils websites.

 

Joa - I can comment from over 12 local councils where they state that the DHP is Discretionary and a sfunds are limited they will not allocate them to people that work this benefit is used for passport benefit only -income support and JSA.

 

The GodMother - your independant rent assessor is based from outwith your area if you have a dispute with your rent you can ask them to re-look at it within 1 month of receiving your award letter, (outwith that in exceptional circumstances) they then get a rent officer from a different area to re-look at it and come back to you directly, it is not called an appeal it is classes as a redetermination of a rent officers decision.

[Joa]

 

Joa - I can comment from over 12 local councils where they state that the DHP is Discretionary and a sfunds are limited they will not allocate them to people that work this benefit is used for passport benefit only -income support and JSA.

 

Of course, there is a huge amount of discretion when it comes to how the local authorities assess people, how much they award and for how long. That's why there should never be a blanket statement as in "If you are receiving working tax credit you wont qualify for the DHP"

because there are thousands of local authorities and i, despite working in welfare for many years, have never encountered restrictions like this or that DHP would only be paid to people who are receiving IS/JSA. That's why I reacted so strongly.

[Joa]

Well i have everything in writing from my council on how they assess eveything so l no what l have put is correct.

 

Chrissi

 

Oh, I do not doubt that you have correspondence from the council with regards to your case because your rent may have been capped to an eligible level, which is lower then actual level- exactly as robin was trying to explain. CTB can also be capped for many reasons.

 

And now comes big warning , a warning which I have posted before, some time ago and which I would like to be posted as a sticky, because this is not going to go away:

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN EXAMPLES. THE BENEFIT RULES ARE COMPLEX. MOST ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. YOU ARE RISKING SERIOUSLY MISLEADING OTHER POSTERS. ADVISE ONLY IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL- ALL OTHER POSTERS: PLEASE RESTRICT YOURSELF TO SUGGESTIONS AT BEST.

 

I AM SERIOUS. It is exactly the same as with medications- you should always get yourself checked, because each of our circumstances are different. You should never take someone else's tablets no matter how similar you think their conditions is.

 

This is not to discourage posters; but caution need to be exercised when you advise people. You can lead people to make virtually life-changing WRONG decisions. You can be a cause of fraudulent application or financial hardship.

Advise only if you know your stuff WELL.

[The GodMother]

It does not state is is about my case.

 

I work withim the mental health sector and this information has been issued to everyone within our area that would have anything to do with housing benefit council tax beneift cliam so l no the information l am given is not just about one person.

 

Chrissi

[pebs]

Oops! I`m sorry I asked now!!

 

I know in my area the assesments are not the same for private as council tenants.

I know someone in a 3 bed council property for £280 a month HB and someone round the corner in a private rented gets £500 a month HB.

 

I just wanted to know really if there were set deductions for each bedroom not really needed.

[Joa]

I just want to understand it well: you have information, in writing, from your local authority that the rent amount are capped at a certain level for assessment. Do you belong to Pathfinders /the Second Wave Group (2WG) ? Are you using Local Housing Allowance?

If not, what are the reasons for you LA to cap rents? Because you

live in a very low income area were most of us are on benefits.

?

This is extremely peculiar and something that Local Government Ombudsman would be very interested in.

[GlasweJen]

I live in a Housing Allowance Pilot area and there is a guideline of allowance awards on the councils web page outlining how much you are entitled to and under what circumstances (i.e single person or overhoused). Have you tried the councils web page or benefits helpline?

[pebs]

I have yes, but cant find anything.

 

Never mind I`m sure I`ll hear from the council soon...I`m just impatient!

[Joa]

pebs- there are no deductions. Instead, your assessment will be done on a basis of "eligible" rent for a standard property for your family. You need to call your council's Housing Benefit department to ask what they would consider reasonable for your family, claim DHP on basis that you need the extra room for visiting children, that's why your house is bigger then the recommended size that's why rent is higher, which is not reflected in HB calculations.

Let me know if you need further help with this.

[pebs]

I will do thanks.

 

So I can claim this dhp on tax credits?

[The GodMother]

for some reason we did not get half the amount of government money we should have got the last tax year. so the council put a cap on the benefits rates of housing and/or council tax. Also we have alot of low income ppl on benefits in this area and the council are paying out for about 90% of this areas rent/ council tax so sumething needed to be done.

 

I personally have not looked to far into the situation but l they did get some type of special permission so l dont know the full facts. I will look into this more when l am back at work but l might not be able to find out much.

[Joa]

So I can claim this dhp on tax credits?

 

 

Of course- you can claim! But remember: it is not something that you are entitled to, but something that you may be awarded for a period and amount entirely at your council's discretion. Definitely worth trying though. Search the forum for "DHP" - I have posted about it before. To secure best chance of award it would be really great if you could see an adviser to proof read your personal statement. Focus (in an nutshell) about financial hardship and it's effect on you and your family, your inability to find enough for basic necessities, possibilities of rent arrears, importance of the children visiting.

Good luck, yeah?