Housing Benefit changes from April 2011
The Government made changes to
the Local Housing Allowance rules from April 2011.
The changes:
- Introduce caps that Local Housing Allowance
weekly rates in any area cannot exceed
- Removed the five bedroom Local Housing
Allowance rate so that the maximum level is a four
bedroom rate
- Help disabled people who have a carer who stays
overnight who doesn't normally live with them.
- Reduce all Local Housing Allowance rates so
that about 3 in 10 properties for rent in the area should be
affordable to people on Housing Benefit rather than every 5 in 10
properties as now
- End the maximum £15 weekly Housing Benefit
excess that some customers previously received under the Local
Housing Allowance arrangements
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. Your Housing Benefit will not normally be
affected until the anniversary of your
claim. However, if there is a change in your household
such as someone leaving or someone coming to live with you or if
you move house the changes could apply sooner. The
anniversary of your claim is 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.
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
these Local Housing Allowance arrangements will not apply to
you.
Will I be affected by the
caps?
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 Housing Benefit will be
reduced to:
- £250.00 per week for a one bedroom
property
- £290.00 per week for a two bedroom
property
- £340.00 per week for a three bedroom
property
- £400.00 per week for a four bedroom property
(or larger)
How do I know which Local Housing
Allowance rate applies to me?
You can enter your details to find out which
Local Housing Allowance rate applies to
you.
Different rules may apply if you are
under 25 (under 35 from January 2012) or you live in
shared accommodation.
I’m sharing a house with other people
will the changes to Local Housing Allowance rates affect
me?
The way of setting Local Housing
Allowance rates from April 2011 could lead to a reduction in the
shared room rate.
I’m living in a self contained studio flat what rate
applies to me?
The one bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate
will apply to you. If you are under 25 (under 35 from January 2012)
then different rules may apply.
The rent I am paying now is more
than the Housing Benefit I will get when the changes from April
2011. 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 the housing options team and Housing Benefit department,
or the Citizens Advice Bureau.
My landlord won’t reduce my rent and
it’s going to be difficult to move, is there any other
help?
You may submit a Discretionary Housing Payment form to be
considered for an award to meet the gap between your
benefit entitlement and the rent you pay. The amount of
money available for these payments is limited so we will have
to consider your circumstances carefully and any such payments are
only a short term measure to help you make alternative
arrangements.
My Housing Benefit is paid directly to
my landlord, what should I do if my Local Housing Allowance rate is
reduced? Or how will I know that the amount paid to my landlord
will still meet my rent?
We will write to tell you if your
entitlement changes. You should consider speaking to your
landlord about the changes.
This webpage was updated on
2/9/2012