Housing and Council Tax
Benefits
Are you entitled to help with
your Rent and Council Tax?
If you are on a low income, you may
be entitled to help with your Rent and/or Council Tax
payments.
Use our
online
benefit calculator to determine whether or not you are likely
to be entitled to benefit. Alternatively you can get an
application form by
telephoning the office on
02380 688046 or
visit us on the ground floor of
the Civic Offices. You can also
apply
here for a
Benefit Claim Form or download and complete the
application form from the
DWP.
If you are housebound, a Visiting
Officer is available to help you complete the form at your
home. Please remember that any delay in claiming will mean
that you may lose out on benefit to which you are entitled.
For further information on Housing
and Council Tax Benefits please click
here or visit the
Department of Work and Pensions website below
Introduction of Local Housing
Allowance - Effective from 7 April 2008
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will
replace Housing Benefits from 7 April 2008. View
the current LHA rates.
Local Housing Allowances will only
apply to privately rented accomodation for new claims or claims
where there has been a change of address. Social Housing is
not included in the rules for LHA.
The amount of Housing Benefit payable
will be determined based on the size of the family and the
'locality' they are in.
Localities are determined by the Rent
Officer service and for Eastleigh the locality will be
Southampton.
LHA will be payable at the levels set
even where the rent paid for the accomodation is less than the
applicable LHA. It is possible for a claimant to receive up
to £15 above the rent if the LHA is calculated as more than
the rent payable.
Payment of Benefit Direct to
Landlords
With the introduction of LHA,
payment of benefit direct to the landlord will no longer be allowed
except in cases where the authority determines that the claimant is
vulnerable.
Vulnerable Tenants
Where tenants are considered
vulnerable by the authority direct payments can be made to the
landlord.
A leaflet has been prepared which will
be sent to all current landlords that may be affected by the
changes so that they are aware that direct payments will only be
made where a claimant is classed as vulnerable by the
authority.
It is the authority's decision whether
to treat a claimant as vulnerable.
Payment can still be made to a
landlord where the tenant is eight weeks in arrears with their rent
as currently permitted under the Housing Benefit regulations.
If you want to find out more about
Local Housing Allowance or payment of Benefit please contact the
Benefits office on 023 8068 8040.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit Investigations
Do you know someone who is
claiming benefit to which they may not be entitled?
If the answer to the above question
is yes, telephone this office on 02380 688096 giving full
details so that allegations can be investigated.
Alternatively, fill out and email the
Suspected
Fraud Notification Form
Any information provided will be
treated in the strictest confidence.
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Page Last Updated: 8/22/2008
Eastleigh Borough Council
legal disclaimer
Website Comments: webmaster@eastleigh.gov.uk
Eastleigh Borough Council, Civic Offices, Leigh Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9YN
Telephone: 023 8068 8068, Fax: 023 8064 3952, Text: 07797 877001
Email:
direct@eastleigh.gov.uk