If you rent from a private landlord then your local Council may have written to you recently to inform you that your Housing Benefit will reduce at some point between January and December 2012. If this is the case we recommend you start planning now to avoid getting into rent arrears in the future.
There are several changes that might affect your benefit, including:
- A general reduction in the rates of Housing Benefit for tenants of private landlords
- A reduction for large families who previously were awarded the ‘5-bedroom’ rate for privately rented accommodation
- A restriction on the amount of benefit received by single claimants under the age of 35
If you will be affected by these changes then the Local Housing Allowance Team is here to help. We are based in Greater Manchester and can help people across the region prepare for these changes. See the box to the right for more information about how we can help.
If you are a landlord who rents property to tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit then we can also offer you advice and support. See the landlord's page for some basic information and contact us if you require more assistance.