Landlord asking for too much money.

[CaptainMummy]

I receive full housing benefit.
My rent for this house is £475 pcm, which works out at £109 somethingper week.
My Local Housing Allowance covers £101 something a week, therefore I should have to top up the rest, so about 8.40 a week, making it around £35 per month i need to make up.

Both figures (104 and 109) are clearly stated on my housing brnefit award letter.

To clarify, my LHA gets paid directly to my landlord.

So why amI expected to pay 70 odd a month?! I understand that they are getting paid 4 weekly rather than calendar monthly (says in myaward letter) so are receiving 404 or soa t a time which isnt enouh to cover a months rent... but that would mean i am overpaying and by the end of a year i would have overpaid a few hundred pounds

Sorry if this isnt worded the best, im a bit confused and annoyed! But surely I can just pay her every 4 weeks the same as when she gets paid my LHA to stop confusion?

I really hope she isnt trying to do me out of money, but surely as an experienced landlord agent she kniws how it works and cant expect me to be so stupid?

 

[Boomerslady]

As far as I'm aware you shouldn't have to pay any extra a month. Because the LHA gets paid 4 weekly each payment will be short of what they expect to receive monthly iykwim. However once a year they will receive 2 payments in one calendar month (say 1st and 29th) so therefore the 'extra' amount needed for each calendar month is that extra chunk. I hope that makes sense. Basically your landlord will get every penny they should and you shouldn't have to pay extra. PM if that didnt make sense and you need help!!

ETA: also just want to clarify that your rent isn't higher than the LHA allowance for your area? If so you would have to pay extra. Fr example where I am the highest LHA works out at £800 PCM but if I rented somewhere that was £850 I'd have to make up the extra regardless of getting full LHA.

 

[kmbabycrazy]

Yeah ^^^this. When I was on housing benefit we got our payments every other week and sometimes ended up with 3 payments a month, so what they get extra could well cover the extra you'd have to pay anyway x

 

[jenkins]

I'm not sure, sorry, but is it possible for them to pay the housing benefit directly to you and then you pay the landlord? Then you'd know for sure it was right xx

 

[Boomerslady]

The thing is its rare for them to pay it to the landlord, usually it is paid to the tenant and then they pay the landlord. However some landlords don't like it as one told me before they expect all people on benefits to be scum and take the LHA and not pay the rent, then do a runner!! So if the landlord had requested direct payment you shouldn't have to be involved at all n the rent side if things.

 

[CaptainMummy]

As far as I'm aware you shouldn't have to pay any extra a month. Because the LHA gets paid 4 weekly each payment will be short of what they expect to receive monthly iykwim. However once a year they will receive 2 payments in one calendar month (say 1st and 29th) so therefore the 'extra' amount neeäded for each calendar month is that extra chunk. I hope that makes sense. Basically your landlord will get every penny they should and you shouldn't have to pay extra. PM if that didnt make sense and you need help!!

ETA: also just want to clarify that your rent isn't higher than the LHA allowance for your area? If so you would have to pay extra. Fr example where I am the highest LHA works out at £800 PCM but if I rented somewhere that was £850 I'd have to make up the extra regardless of getting full LHA.

My rent is higher than my lha. Max LHA for myarea, 2 bedrooms is 440 and rent is 475... so i just assumed i would pay 35 a month extra... she text me today saying my balance was 70 odd and I was like 'huh!?'

Hopefully she has just made a mistake but i honestly think shes trying to do me out of money. I am 100% certain hiw much i have to pay, I just dont know how ti go about telling her she is wrong without being cheeky! (Thetext i sent earlier came across a bit cheeky, i think)

 

[Boomerslady]

Ok so in that case what you have to do is multiply the LHA amount she gets weekly by 52. Then divide your monthly rent by 4 and times by 52 meaning you'll have the 2 yearly amounts (what she'll get and what she should be getting) work out the difference and divide by 12. This is how much extra you personally should pay each month.

I'm tired but I'm sure that's right!!!!

Once you've done this you can send her a ms g saying you've worked it out and you should only have to pay x give her all your sums too so she can see you won't be taken for a ride.

 

[jenkins]

I think you're best asking her for a breakdown of how she arrived at that figure (if you haven't already) and see what she comes back with cx

 

[Kissablekate]

You will need to pay £37.33 monthly, not 4 weekly

101 x 52= £5252
475 x 12= £5700
Shortfall = £448

£448 / 12 = £37.333

the amount owing depends on how many months short.

The above may not be accepted tho as she has listed £475 per month, not £5700 throughout the year

Hope that all makes sense!

 

[Boomerslady]

Was just thinking if she does want £475 PCM exactly and only get £404 from LHA you might have to pay the £70 but only if s he agrees to give you the £404 extra payment she gets when she gets 2 in one month. Or ask why she wants it directly to her? If she's not fussed change it to being paid to you and save the hassle!!

 

[blake12336]

I would change it so you get the benefit and then give it to her rather than it go to her directly. This is what we do, we get housing benefit paid into our account and then we set up a standing order to the landlord so there are no issues and we know what has been paid

 

[aimee-lou]

Maybe she doesn't know she's going to get 13 payments in a year?

If so, maybe point out that the 404 is 4-weekly, not PCM and so therefore (give the figures given by PP) and offer her the £37.34 pcm that you owe as per your LHA.

 

[CaptainMummy]

Thanks ladies.

The woman I deal with is the landlords agent, i forgt to mention that! I went up and spoke to her today and basically she said that the landlord wont accept 4 weekly payments and it has to be calendar monthly (because if a tenant leaves before they have been in the property for a year they lose out on money) so he is very reluctant. She did say she will call him and ask again to see if he will accept it 4weekly.

If not, it means I will have to pay £70 per month rather than the £31 it works out at if i can pay 4weekly. Really hope it doesnt come to that as it will be hard for us! We will get a payment of £406 when they get the extra payment which makes up for all the extra we will hav to pay, but probably wont get it until march (if her calculations aee riht)

At least I know the nice little lady is looking out for me and I wrongly accused her of trying to do me! She is really nice and we have a great reationship and shehelps us out alot and She also lets my dd play in their massive playroom for ages each time we go!

Plus she had a big bulldglog bitch walkingabout the house with a pair of pants on which made me smile!

 

[Kimmer]

I had this issue with my last house.

Basically, estate agents/landlords want your full rent amount per calendar month, while housing benefit is paid 4 weekly. Even though they get 13 payments in a year, as far as they can see, the rent is being underpaid every month until that 13th payment makes it all work out.

Most estate agents will take action if the rent is short a couple of months in a row. When I moved out of my house, they kept my £900 deposit to cover what housing benefit had underpaid them.

You may be able to speak to them and explain the situation. My estate agents were less than helpful, I just moved instead!

 

[sue_88]

I can see why they are doing it that way as all the LL cares about is getting his full rent PCM.

But you'd definitely want to make sure that the 13th payment will definitely come back to you and not 'forgotten' about as then you're over paying.

Hopefully your LL will understand when the agent phones them back.