Landlords I'm curious..

[AvadaKedavra1]

Wasn't sure where to post, plus this page gets lost of traffic.

So landlords/lady's.. Now it's all rolled into one benefit, ie tax credits etc I'm not sure how it will work as housing costs will be on someone's award even if before they were just on tax credits. That would mean most working families, even earning fairly good salaries will technically be DSS tenants!

I just don't get it because now technically if you were only tax credits before you weren't a 'housing benefit' tenant and now you are.

If landlords keep thinking like this, they'll never rent their properties! My UC doesn't cancel out until I'm on £45k a year. If I was earning that kind of money, I'd be buying somewhere. So basically no family will be able to rent until they are earning a fair whack, the sort money where most people have their own homes and don't rent.

Thankfully I had a guarantor, but this not a viable option for everyone. I'm gutted that at £30k a year I'm considered a 'dss' tenant. It's embarrassing.

They’ll be able to see what parts of UC someone is getting. Therefore if they are getting housing benefit or not.

We don’t discriminate against people claiming housing benefit.

UC until you’re in £45k?? How??
-misses point of thread-

It’s not always landlords discriminating. Many mortgage deeds/landlord insurance policies say you can’t let to housing benefit claimants.

They don’t have a choice.

Interesting - our agent deals with this for us but will like to find out more

UC is broken down in to different elements.
Housing is just one of them.

When I tried to rent my house, it was my mortgage company that said no Benefit claimants, it's those that need to change, not the landlords.

@loubluee anyone who has rental costs will have a housing element part in their award.

Once they are given a maximum award, which always includes an element of housing (unless the claimant owns their property or lives with their parents) it is then deducted accordingly by wages.

As it is calculated differently to tax credits my childcare costs help would be totally cancelled out if the housing element wasn't on there, where as before just on tax credits it was done by thresholds and annually rather than monthly and to the penny. On tax credits, I wouldn't have been eligible for housing benefit but would have received childcare costs etc. It's just calculated differently and many people I know are having issues.

UC until you’re in £45k?? How??
misses point of thread-

I'm wondering too.

Are you seriously telling me someone on £30k+ can claim benefits???

£45k sounds excessive.
Especially when you consider that any earnings you receive will lower your payment. I think it's something like 63p for every £1 you earn.

@KlutzyDraconequus I'm not saying it's down to landlords, just thought I'd ask to see if they know how it will work. The housing element is automatically added to anyone with rental costs to make up the award. You can't choose not to claim it or it cancels out childcare assistance etc. Also a personal element is always added and this is job seekers/income support. They wouldn't be claimed before if someone was working.

@ChubRubTheStruggleIsReal I'll show you.

Personal Element - £317.82
Housing - £703.86
Child element - £231.67
Childcare costs - £646

Total award - £1899.35
Take home wages on £45k - £2832
Work allowance (money earnt before deductions) - £198
Wages taken into account - £2634
Deducted from UC at 63p for each £1 - £1659.42 deducted from UC.
£1899.35 - £1659.42 = £239.93 UC each month.

With work allowances going up in April to £287 and I only have 1 child, if I had more it would be an extra £231.67 or £277.08 depending when born and an extra £462 towards childcare. This would make it way over £45k salary before it's cancelled out.

@MustShowDH yep.

@KlutzyDraconequus it does sound excessive yes, but in certain parts of the country it's not much at all. I wouldn't make a statement like that if I hadn't done the maths.

Any point after £45k and I would be claiming tax free childcare. I'm only claiming it for childcare costs.

Someone on £30k a year could claim working tax credits, not much but some. UC replaces that.

At £30k I get £775 from UC which is exactly what I got on tax credits.

Scratch that a bit less on TC as they pay up to 85% now on UC rather that 70%.

I don’t understand still...

I’m really confused, I’ve always been told I don’t qualify for any help. Despite a recent (small) promotion I still earn wayyyyyy less than that in London, 1 child.... thinking I should prob see if I could be claiming??

I just don't get it because now technically if you were only tax credits before you weren't a 'housing benefit' tenant and now you are

Why will this be? If you were not entitled to housing benefit before, why will you suddenly be now?

@ChubRubTheStruggleIsReal

Are you renting? It makes a difference really where it shouldn't as homeowners were previously entitled to tax credits to help with childcare costs. UC us calculated so differently.

Do you have childcare costs?

Can you understand my calculation? Feel free to message me and helo you get your head round it. There is also plenty of UC help Facebook pages.

With the old system you could choose not to tell your landlord when you're on benefits and not have it paid directly, which is what I've always done. They've never known.

@potatoscone they make up your claim with elements and work out a maximum award before deductions for earnings. If you have rental costs it is automatically added to your award. You don't apply for it where as housing benefit and tax credits were totally separate applications.

This is the problem, people that matter don't understand how it works.

Yep renting and the online calculators still say I’m not entitled to anything. Just checked.

No childcare costs now dd is in high school.

I don't have a mortgage on my rental property so no restrictions who I can rent to. Current tennant is on housing benefit.

@Gwenhwyfar chances are they wouldn't find out if you never fell into issues with paying rent, but if you did then their insurance could be void.

@TinklyLittleLaugh I'm not saying it's the landlords and I know some do rent to benefit claimants. Just asking what you think would happen in the case of someone in the old system would no way get housing benefit the but housing element is added to their award automatically on UC. Then it's deducted with live information from HMRC.

Do you think mortgage providers need to adjust their policies?

Landlord insurance companies are as bad. Some only go down the line of housing benefit recipient (under old system) or working. No mix of the 2 exists apparently.

@ChubRubTheStruggleIsReal probably because you have no childcare costs, look up your local housing allowance and drop me a message. I can work it out for you. They add all elements together, it seems to that complicated that the online calculators can get it wrong.