|
LHA rates frozen from April 2012 - LHA rates
have been frozen at their April 2012 rate for one year so you
will now know the rate for the whole year without it changing month
by month. |
What is Local Housing Allowance?
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a type of housing benefit which
was introduced nationally in April 2008. LHA is for people
renting from private landlords only. If you are a tenant
living in a property owned by a Housing Association or other
Registered Social Landlord you are not affected by LHA. We will pay
LHA to people who:
- Make a new claim for help with paying rent.
- Already get Housing Benefit but move to a new address.
- Have a break of 1 week or more in current Housing
Benefit.
What is the difference between Housing Benefit and LHA?
The previous Housing Benefit scheme was based on the rent for a
property. The Rent Service worked out a ‘fair’ or ‘market’ rent for
the property and often the Housing Benefit would be paid direct to
the landlord. LHA is a set amount of money worked out by:
- The number of people in your family living in the rented
property.
- The area where you live.
Please be aware that your rent may still be calculated by the
Rent Service using the old scheme. This would be because your have
'substantial board and attendance', you are renting a caravan or
mobile home or you are paying site or mooring fees.
How do I find out the LHA amounts for the Suffolk Coastal
area?
Most of Suffolk Coastal falls within the Ipswich Broad Rental
Market Area (BRMA) - the current LHA rates are available below:
The
LHA Direct webpages (new window) give you three
ways to help you find LHA rates:
- Bedroom calculator - helps you work out how
many bedrooms you may be eligible for.
- Postcode search - lets you search for LHA
rates by location of the property you are interested in.
- Local authority search - lets you search for
LHA rates by local authority area.
You will be able to find out the amounts you can get before you
look for somewhere to live but please remember the allowance may
not be the amount of the award you will receive. It is the maximum
figure we will use to work out your award.
How much LHA will I get?
Your LHA award amount depends on your personal information and
is worked out from the details of:
- Who lives with you and their circumstances.
- What money you have coming in.
- What savings you have.
You may get more if you are disabled or a pensioner.
What happens if my LHA award is higher than my rent?
Housing Benefit is no longer paid at a higher rate than the
actual weekly rent charged. Prior to 1 April 2011 customers who
chose to live in properties where the rent charged was less than
their Local Housing Allowance could receive up to a maximum of
£15.00 extra per week.
All new claims made on or after 1 April 2011 will be calculated
using either the Local Housing Allowance rate or the actual amount
of rent charged (whichever is lower).
For customers already in receipt of Housing Benefit the change
will affect them from the next anniversary of their claim occurring
on or following 1 April 2011.
What happens if my LHA award is lower than my rent?
You will have to pay the difference to your landlord from your
own income. If you find that you are having difficulty in paying
this difference, you can apply for a
discretionary housing payment. Please be aware a
discretionary housing payment will usually only be paid for three
to six months and is awarded at our discretion.
How will LHA be paid?
It will be paid every 4 weeks direct to your bank account. If
you do not have an account please ask us for help or information
about opening one.
Should you have financial or personal difficulties paying your
rent we can consider paying the LHA direct to your landlord. You
would need to tell us details of the problem. We may be able
to help by agreeing to such an arrangement on either a temporary or
permanent basis.
Help and advice
For help or advice or if you need a home visit
because of age, disability or other circumstances please call us on
01394 444838 or email
benefits@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
You can also get help and information by visiting
our offices in Woodbridge and Felixstowe.
For free independent help and advice on Housing and Council
Tax Benefit contact your local Citizen's Advice
Bureau.