Changes to Housing Benefit from January 2012
Single claimants between the ages of 25 and 35
From January 2012 the Government is planning to change the rules that apply to most single people aged between 25 and 35, who do not have children and live in self-contained accommodation.
The change means that, instead of the current one bedroom Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate, you would move onto the LHA rate for shared accommodation, which may be much lower.
If you make a new claim for Housing Benefit after January 2012, these changes will affect you straight away. If you are already on benefit, the change will take effect on the anniversary of your claim or, if you have qualified for the 9 month protection, when that runs out.
As LHA rates can change each month, we cannot advise people in advance how much their benefit will change. Details of the current LHA rates can be found here.
Some people under 35 will not be affected by this change. The exemptions are:
- Households with children
- Households with non-dependents
- Young people leaving care, until they are 22 years old
- A young person who qualifies for the severe disability premium in their Housing Benefit, Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance
- A young person who has an overnight carer
- A young person who has spent more than 3 months in a homeless hostel, where that person has engaged with rehabilitation and resettlement support services.
Current Local Housing Allowance claimants - When will this affect me?
If you are already claiming Housing Benefit and your circumstances don't change, you will have an additional nine months protection after your LHA anniversary date when you will get benefit based on your current rate. After that, your benefit will be calculated using the new rules and rates. For instance, if your anniversary date is September 2011, the changes will not affect your until June 2012. The changes could apply sooner if there is a change in your circumstances (see below for more information).
When is my anniversary date?
Your anniversary date is the date your first made your current claim. For example, if you claimed Housing Benefit on 5 September 2008, your anniversary date is 5 September.
When could I be affected earlier than my anniversary date?
- If you change address: Your claim will be worked out under the new rules straight away with no transitional protection.
- If there is a change in your household so that you are entitled to a smaller dwelling. e.g. if someone moved out: The changes will apply straight away and there will be no transitional protection.
- If there is a change in your household so that you are entitled to a larger dwelling. e.g. someone moves in, a child is born, a child reaches the age of 10 or 16: Your claim will be worked out under the new rules straight away but you could get transitional protection for up to nine months.