Housing Benefit Phobia

[MrsSnape]

I can't find anyone willing to take me on as a tennant due to some stupid phobia they all have about housing benefit...why are people so against it? surely if the money is coming directly from the council its going to be more reliable?

Is there any way to get housing benefit paid directly to you so that landlords need not know you get it?

well they will do that where i live

but finding an agent to willing to take you on with no job or part time and children is horrendous

get on the internet ask for private rentals ask friends check all yor local newasgent windows

best of luck im going thr this and have found some one lovely enough to take benefit but now council are dragging there heels its so hard a process its distgusting really

well they will do that where i live

but finding an agent to willing to take you on with no job or part time and children is horrendous

get on the internet ask for private rentals ask friends check all yor local newasgent windows

best of luck im going thr this and have found some one lovely enough to take benefit but now council are dragging there heels its so hard a process its distgusting really

The problem is that Housing Benefit is paid in arrears (4 weeks in arrears), takes some time to get sorted and you generally have to pay extra on your buildings insurance if you have tenants on housing benefit. I've even found a couple of mortgage companies recently that won't lend to you if you let to people on housing benefit, which really shocked me.

I have a feeling that as of April housing benefit will automatically be paid directly to you instead of the landlord anyway.

Agree with dressedupnowheretogo, have a good look around for a private rental. If it helps at all, I have two flats that I let out and you are exactly the type of tenant I always look for ie housing benefit and have children. I have lovely tenants who stay for ages and look after the flats really well and it has worked out really well for all of us so far. Good luck, will keep my fingers crossed that you find somewhere.

Oh by the way, make sure that any new landlord protects your deposit in one of the schemes that are now mandatory.

The other problem being that some mortgages, including mine, specifically prohibit you from renting your property to someone on benefits. Both Abbey who we used to be with and C and G , our current lenders have this provision written in. I suppose in cases of buy to let they are looking for the rent to cover the mortgage. In my case, the mortgage is covered irrespective of rental income, as it's my home that's let whilst we are abroad, and I did ask if they'd change it, but they said no.

i dont think so.....you can get the housing benefit paid straight to you, but they have to write to the landlord about details etc etc

It depends. HB will only pay up to a market figure appropriate to the number of adults/children and size of property, which may not match what you find so there coudl be a shortfall which you may ort may not be able to afford. Some areas pay to landlord, some to tenant.

I'm fairly sure the new rules from April mean that the money will be paid to you regardless of the area you are in, see here.

I get notification for my tenant whose housing benefit comes to me directly but didn't used to get anything from the council for a previous tenant whose housing benefit was paid to her.

The other change is in the way they calculate the benefit. If I have understood it correctly, they look at the number of people you are claiming for to work out the size property you are entitled to, then they pay a standard rent for that size property in your area.

So my tenant who has two children, girl of 3 and boy of 9 at present is only entitled to benefit for a 2 bedroom place as the children are expected to share (the flat has 3 bedrooms). Therefore she is currently expected to make up the difference between what housing benefit pay and the rent (I just accept whatever housing benefit she gets).

In October her son will be 10 and then she will be entitled to housing benefit on a 3 bedroom place and will get more.

It is definitely worth though checking with the CAB that this is the case because I could be talking absolute rubbish and this is only what is happening in our area. I did get the impression it was countrywide though and the only variation will be the different rent for 2, 3 bed etc properties from region to region.

I wouldn't risk not telling the landlord - all kinds of messy consequences (I think HB tell em anyway).

Mine is paid to me direct. I have been as baffled by you as the not reliable, but when CT explained about the insurance and lenders etc it did make more sense.

I don't look at a house now without checking about benefits first. I hate it and long for the day to be off them (It irks in some ways that they keep moving the goalposts - as nice as it is that they keep telling me that we are entitled to a higher income now, it means every time we get down to receiving very little and we think we will be off of it, it bumps up again and you do the whole living within your new means and it seems impossible to survive without it)

Sorry - rambling

CT - I emailed you

I have just had the reverse problem, some idiot at the hb section of my council had the bright idea to change it to being paid directly to me without me asking/wanting it to be. have spent half a day on the phone trying to sort it all out. The money was paid into dh's account, we've no idea how they got the details, as the claim has always been in my name, and we've never given them any bank details. Can only conclude they got them from his JSA claim...

MrsSnape, it is hard as buggery to get a place on HB but it can be done. I got ours advertising privately, 4 years ago - I put an ad in the paper, you know, reliable single woman looking for a house, guarantor etc...(that helps) and got a few shifty replies but eventually my very laid back landlord and his laid back house - Ok it was a heap, but it was workable and we're still here

I've looked around since, and a few agents are happy to consider/put you forward, if the house is messy or scruffy and needs work, hasn't been recently refurbished or whatever...especially if you have someone to act as guarantor. My dad does this though he's never had to pay out...we get HB straight into the bank, it's paid in arrears but we cover it and it goes to landlord as a standing order monthly, so they don't have to wait.

A lot of LL's have a type of insurance that excludes people on benefits. which is just shit basically but what can you do...it might just be a line I've been fed by estate agents though!!

Yes, to answer OP, you can get it paid direct to you but you'll still have to let them know especially if through an agent, as they will ask I expect - mind you, if it's a private rental, maybe you could get away with it! Risk of being chucked out though if they sprang you...