Housing benefit.....long!

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Please read this and tell me if I have it right...

We are entitled to a 2 bed property. The maximum we could claim (if we weren't working at all) would be £196 a week (£849 pcm) but benefit is capped at £15 a week more than rent. So current rent is £150 a week, maximum we COULD get would be £165 a week.

Whatever you earn loses you a proportionate amount. So, for example, if our earnings took £100 a week off the benefit, that would mean we got £65 a week. Right?

IF we lived in a house that was £849 a month, or £196 a week, and we take £100 off, would we then get £96 a week? Does that sound right?

Basically, we are moving in july and need to work out what we can afford - but if the benefit element would go up (up to the maximum) we would still pay the same amount ourselves that we pay now? Is that right? I have been looking up to £750 but if the benefits would pick up the extra we could go higher (which would be easier) But then we would need to find a bigger deposit.....

So complicated!

anyone?

That is a different system to where I live - I agree with shine call for advice from those in the know about how it works in your area

Look on your council site, each council has a "fair rent" (or whatever it is called) which is the maximum they will pay for a property. Each claim is then assessed to make sure that the property is worth that maximum before they start to assess how much you will get (although they do interim payments in the mean time).

If you run through entitiledto.com they give you the opportunity to find out what your councils limits are.

You have it right, kat - the amount you would get is the same regardless of the actual property you decide to rent, with the exception of the £15 excess limit that you mentioned.

Only thing to be aware of is that the amounts can change every month so could be different in July though unlikely to vary by much.