What does the Rent Service do?
If you have been in receipt of Housing Benefits continuously, without any breaks since before 7 April 2008 your Housing Benefit claim will not fall within the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) scheme.
For claims before 7 April 2008 it is the responsibility of the Rent Service to tell us if you are being charged a reasonable rent for your accommodation. A Rent Officer will make an assessment and tell us what s/he thinks is the appropriate rent to use for benefit purposes.
Why has the rent officer said I can only get £65 a week Housing Benefit, when this doesn't cover my rent?
If you are single and under 25, you will generally receive Housing Benefit based on the cost of renting Single Room accommodation with shared use of a toilet and kitchen facilities but without board.
This is called a 'Single Room Rent' (SRR) Figure.
If you live alone and are aged 25 or under, the Rent Service is likely to set a 'Single Room Rent' (SRR). Depending upon where you live, the Single Room Rent could be as low as £65 per week (p/w).
Any entitlement to Housing Benefit will be based upon the Rent Officer's decision. This means that the rent your landlord is charging may not be completely covered by Housing Benefit.
When the Rent Service make a decision as to whether your rent is a 'Fair Rent' for Housing Benefit purposes, you will receive a decision notification letter in the post. The Rent Service will also notify the Benefits office of the decision.
When the Benefits office calculates your final entitlement to Housing Benefits, you will receive a letter telling you what your rent has been 'restricted' to. You will then be invited to consider applying for some extra help towards the shortfall between the rent you are charged and the Housing Benefit awarded. This extra help is called a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).
Once you are entitled to benefits, to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) all you will need to do is complete the form that is sent with this letter.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) Claims
If you have moved, claimed for the first time or have asked to have a break in your claim since after 6 April 2008 you will fall within the LHA scheme. Your claim will be assessed based upon the number of bedrooms your and your family need. For further details please refer to the LHA scheme pages.
