the partner makes a new claim and becomes the claimant – the ereg states the rent to be used is the maximum rent that was in place at the point of the death of the linked person – so her eligible rent is the same as was used on the old HB claim.
Example.
Cople live in a privately rented flay anf have been on HB for many years.
When they were a couple, the rent charged was £1000.00 but the rent officer gave a valuation of £650.00 pcm.
Her new HB claim will be LHA and based on the one bed LHA rate, but her rent is protected at £650.00 per month for 52 weeks from the date her husband died.
had they not been on HB at all before his death, the rent would be protected at £1000 from the date he died.
