Housing benefit - can they do this??

[pinkystinky]

Got an updated benefit notice on the 25th sept (as new lease was about to start).Benefit remained the same, even thou landlord has put rent up by £25 per month.
On the 4th oct get another notice saying the rent officer had now re-reveiewed our rent , and our benefit has now been reduced!
Can they reduce the amount of eligable rent by £10 per week??( its not as if anyones rent has decreased,or any other increases of income)

Our weekly rent is £190
Eligable rent was £175, now been reduced to £165.
I emailed the council they said this was correct,and they have to go by the figures the rent officer gives them!
Can this be correct? Im livid, so not only are they not taking into consideration the increase in rent, they are also taking away another £40!( if i knew this i wouldnt have signed for another 1 year lease last week!!)

yes they can - it's one of the problems with renting privately and claiming. The "fair rent" report is about what you should (in their opinion) be paying, not what you do pay. It is often lower than what you actually pay. The only thing you can do as far as I know is to send the fair rent officer's report to the landlord and hope he/she reduces the rent. You might be able to contest the rent officer's decision too, but that will take a while - CAB may know more.