At Finefair Ltd we appreciate how vital information is, especially when it pertains to lettings and rentals. We work to provide a great deal of info. It can cover a number of topics, from guaranteed rent to leasing to councils. Here we want to look specifically at local housing allowance in Croydon. It will help people to understand what they can claim.
A look at LHA
In the UK, people can claim financial help to obtain housing. This is known as Housing Benefit. LHA is a way to calculate it. The government introduced it in 2008, making it easier to determine the entitlement for England, Scotland, and Wales.
Moving to LHA was quite a significant jump. Before it, the government was calculating entitlement using the 50th percentile or median value of rental accommodation in each area. However, the local housing allowance uses the 30th percentile instead. It makes the rates fairer.
The interesting thing here is the benefit is calculated based on what people are paying to rent in the area. This is known as the BRMA. There are calculations of the different rates for the BRMAs every year. It keeps them fair, meaning people can claim benefit based on similar rates for similar properties where they live.
Local Housing Allowance in Croydon
The most important thing to remember here is you need to check locally to learn about the rates for LHA and Housing Benefit. You can visit the Croydon Council website or UK Government website for some info. There are also useful links to check the current rates.
If you want to claim financial help for Croydon, it is a good idea to look at how they calculate it and what to expect. The Housing Benefit you can claim will vary depending on a number of factors. These include the applicable amount, who you live with, savings, and your income.
There are situations where there will be a deduction from the benefit you can claim. The main one is when your income exceeds the applicable amount. However, there won’t be deductions in a number of other cases. For example, you may get Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.
The Housing Benefit will vary depending on who you rent from too. If you are a council tenant, the rate will be your rent total. However, private tenants can claim the LHA rate. Any service charges likely won’t be included in either case though. So, your claim could be less charges for garages, use of laundry, and other things.
Do you want to learn more?
We appreciate that it can be tricky to understand local housing allowance in Croydon and other info around Housing Benefit. Hopefully the information above and on the websites we linked too helps.
You can also ask us for info about a number of topics. We are one of the leading experts in London when it comes to guaranteed rent. Working with many councils gives us the ability to advise and support landlords. You can contact us if you want any help.