Bijou

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates applicable from April 2013

"The April 2013 LHA rates are set out below.

Please note, the LHA rates currently published on LHA-Direct will continue to be effective until 31st March 2013.

Any policy enquiries should be directed to the Department for Work and Pensions."

December 27, 2012

LHA in 2013/14 – the final straw for the benefit claimant and homelessness through the roof!
 
"LHA is going up by 2.2% we were told and after 2012/13 when it has been frozen it attracted little if any attention. Yet the official figures show the actual increase is 0.59% and not 2.2% and in some areas it is being cut by over 7%!!"

No change, here ... will still need to top-up, from my JSA (as I do CT).

Wednesday 5 December 2012 15.32 GMT

Housing benefit to rise less than rate of inflation  

"Payment increases to landlords to be capped at 1% from 2014, while plan to end housing benefits for under-25s is dropped."

Wednesday 5 December 2012 22.12 GMT

Cap on benefits to target 'shirkers, not workers' will worsen poverty, say critics

"Allowing only a 1% rise for the next three years will save the government billions in the face of fierce opposition."

*****

Universal Credit Service Charges – guidance for landlords (DWP)

Private Landlords and Universal Credit

Olympic borough fights the Tories’ new Rackmanism

*****

Nigel

On The Move

24 December 2012

Young claimants shut out of private rented sector

"Leslie Morphy, chief executive of Crisis, said: ‘This snapshot of a typical rental search for a single person builds a picture of desperate shortage, particularly for those restricted to lower housing benefit levels, and shows that landlords are reluctant to take on benefits claimants.’"

No room available: study of the availability of shared accommodation (Crisis)

"Ben Sanders and Lígia Teixeira."

Saturday 22 December 2012

UK needs more houses not higher benefits, thinktank says

"Raising housing benefit is an expensive fix that fails to tackle the problem of high house prices and rents, says Institute of Economic Affairs."

Tuesday, December 18, 2012 - 09:37 GMT  

Expensive transport costs hit job seekers

"Transport costs are becoming a big hindrance to young people trying to get a job, according to new research from the Work Foundation. The research concluded that 20% of young people are finding transport costs a big hindrance to find employment or continue with education or training. This is especially true for those living in rural areas, the report said."

Tuesday 25 December 2012 

Landlords fear introduction of Universal Credit

"Of the 500 landlords surveyed in the National Landlords Association’s latest Quarterly Landlords Panel, 96 per cent are concerned over problems with the introduction of Universal Credit.

This is clearly linked to the two leading priorities cited for 2013, arrears avoidance (64%) and minimising voids (56%).

Universal Credit will replace the current benefit system in April 2013. Under the new system, most benefits, including Local Housing Allowance (LHA), will be rolled into one monthly payment. In addition, direct payments of LHA to the landlord will cease."

Nigel