Important Changes to Housing Benefit from April 2011
The Government is making changes to the Local Housing Allowance
rules from April 2011.
The changes
From 1 April 2011 the following changes come into effect:
- the maximum £15 weekly Housing Benefit excess that some
customers can receive under the Local Housing Allowance
arrangements will end
- the five bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate will be removed
so that the maximum level is for a four bedroom property
- £250 for a one bedroom property
- £290 for a two bedroom property
- £340 for a three bedroom property
- £400 for a four bedroom property
- Local Housing Allowance rates will be calculated
differently so that the rates will be lower than those currently
used. This means about three in ten properties for rent in the area
should be affordable to people on Housing Benefit rather than five
in ten
The Government also intends to make a change to help disabled
people who have a carer who stays overnight but who doesn’t
normally live with them. The change means that your Housing Benefit
will take into account the cost of an additional bedroom providing
you rent a property which has a bedroom for your carer.
Questions and Answers
Will I be affected by the changes to Local Housing Allowance
rates?
If you are renting from a private landlord and you made your
claim for Housing Benefit at your current address on or after the 7
April 2008 it is likely that you will be affected by these
changes.
I have been getting Housing Benefit since before April 2008
could the changes affect me?
Providing you continue to live in the same property and you
don’t have a break in your Housing Benefit claim the Local Housing
Allowance arrangements will not apply to you.
Will I be affected by the caps?
Currently the LHA rates in Dover are below the new capped
levels. The caps are most likely to affect people who are renting
properties in central London boroughs. If your weekly rent is more
than the cap for the Local Housing Allowance rate that applies to
you, your maximum Housing Benefit will be reduced to that
level.
How do I know which Local Housing Allowance rate applies to
me?
Your housing benefit award letter from the council will show
which LHA rate we are applying.
For more information please see the what LHA rate am I entitled to page.
I need a property with more than four bedrooms. Will I only get
benefit at the four bedroom rate?
It is your choice as to the size of property that you rent, but
if it has more than four bedrooms the maximum Housing Benefit
you can get will be based on the four bedroom rate.
I am sharing a house with other people will the changes to
Local Housing Allowance rates affect me?
The new way of setting Local Housing Allowance rates from 1
April 2011 could lead to a reduction in the shared room rate.
I am already getting Housing Benefit when will I be affected by
the changes?
If you are already getting Housing Benefit you will not normally
be affected until the anniversary of your claim. But if there is a
change in your household such as someone leaving or someone coming
to live with you, or if you move or have to make a fresh claim the
changes could apply sooner.
When is my anniversary date?
Your anniversary date is set as the date you first made
your current claim. For example, if you claimed Housing Benefit on
5 September 2008 your anniversary date is 5 September.
This means if there are no other events such as a change in
the number of people in the household before your anniversary
date the new rules from 1 April 2011 will not affect
your rate until 5 September 2011. For most of the changes
you will get a further nine month transitional
protection which means the new rate may not affect your
benefit until 5 June 2012. Depending on the anniversary date
the changes will affect everyone by December 2012.
How will I know what the Local Housing Allowance rates will
reduce to from April 2011?
There is information available about the levels of Local Housing
Allowance rates that might apply from 1 April 2011 based on current
rent levels on the Rent
Officer’s website. To find details for Dover you need to
look at the Dover-Shepway BRMA figures.
This information will give you an idea of the amount of rent
that might be met by Housing Benefit from 1 April 2011. Rent levels
and rates may change between now and April 2011. The figures are
estimates and will be updated regularly.
We currently estimate the rates in Dover-Shepway will
be reduced by amounts of between £3 [Shared] and £37 [4 bed] per
week depending on the size of the property.
The rent I am paying now is likely to be more than the Housing
Benefit I will get when the changes come in. What should I do?
You can talk to your landlord about the changes and see if they
will drop the rent on your property. If that isn’t possible you
could start looking for somewhere cheaper. You might want to talk
about your situation with our Housing Needs team or the
Citizens Advice Bureau.
My landlord won’t reduce my rent and it is going to be
difficult for me to move is there any other help?
We may be able to help with a Discretionary Housing Payment to meet the gap
between your benefit entitlement and the rent you have to pay. The
amount of money available for these payments is limited so we will
have to consider your circumstances carefully. This money will only
be paid for a short time to allow you to find other accommodation
or to sort out your finances.
My Housing Benefit is paid directly to my landlord, what should
I do if my Local Housing Allowance rate is reduced? How will I know
that the amount paid to my landlord will still meet my rent?
Your benefit award letters will tell you how much benefit you
are due to receive. Check with your landlord if there is any
shortfall that you need to make up. If you are not sure about how
much you are getting please contact our customer services team on
01304 872199.
I am getting an excess between my rent and my Local Housing
Allowance rate. Will I stop getting this?
If you are getting an excess award it will stop from your
anniversary date following 1 April 2011.
Do I have to be getting Housing Benefit under the Local Housing
Allowance arrangements to get the allowance for another bedroom for
an overnight carer?
No. This change applies to all tenants who meet the qualifying
conditions and live in privately rented accommodation no matter how
their Housing Benefit is worked out.
I think I will be due an increase in my Housing Benefit because
I have a carer who stays overnight – who should I tell?
Make sure that you tell us that you have an overnight carer so
that we can look at your Housing Benefit entitlement again. You
must already have an extra bedroom in your home available for the
carer to use before you get this help. If you are already getting
Housing Benefit and meet the conditions for this extra help you
will be entitled to it from the date the legislation becomes
effective.
What about extra rooms for other circumstances such as disabled
children, couples that cannot share a room or where extra space is
needed for medical equipment?
The change only applies where the person making the Housing
Benefit claim, or their partner, needs overnight care.
Contact
Tel: 01304 872199
Email: revenues@dover.gov.uk
