Terms & Conditions

[Anonymous]

Tenancy started 25/06/2008 rent charge was £541 pcm
rent increase from 01/02/2009 to £560.00 pcm
the houshold has a 5 bedroom requirement and therefore both rent charges are below the LHA levels.There is also a change to the household from End of December 2008 but is reported late .(it is a advantageous change due to non dep charge) and at present the change has been applied from 16/02/2009.
my question is : as the change in household trigers a change to the bedroom requirement can the rent increase be considered from the same date?

what would happen if claimant has good reasons for delay in reporting change and we remove non deps from December 2008?
as the rent increase is effective from 01/02/2009 does that mean we do nothing until the next anniversary date?
😕

[Anonymous]

I can see what you are thinking … depending on how much the rent has increased by, it might be better to set a new LHA from February on the basis of a change in the number of household members treated as happening at that time, but now based on the new rent of course – because the rent increase swings over the course of the next ten months are better than the non-dep charge roundabouts for the couple of months before Feb 09. I agree that if the LHA year had been re-set from December the Feb rent increase would not be taken into account until December 09.

So yes, I think yopu are right that there is a “better off/worse off” dilemma here.

[Anonymous]

thank you for your reply . Just so that i can be sure i am treating rent increases for LHA cases correctly ,(i am a little confused in this area) could you confirm if the following is correct generally:

1) For LHA cases if a rent increases before the anniversary date, we cannot consider the increase (other than look at moving part of a excess to normal benefit but there would be no overall increase in benefit)

2) if there is a change in household before the anniversary date, then i can review the LHA figures and consider any changes in rent at the same time. ie the increased rent would be used when LHA figures are reviewed?

3) if the above does not apply the earliest date i can consider a increase is at the LHA anniversary date.

Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

I think that’s exactly right.

[Author]

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