Why is Housing Benefit under the Local Housing Allowance rules paid to the tenant rather than the landlord?
The right for tenants to instruct us to pay their Housing Benefit to their landlord does not exist under Local Housing Allowance rules. The Government believes that tenants receiving Housing Benefit should, where they are able to, take greater responsibility for managing their financial affairs in the same way as other tenants do. This should also help to give people of working age the skills they need when they move into work. There are safeguards within the Local Housing Allowance rules that allow us to pay Housing Benefit to the landlord if the tenant is unlikely to pay their rent or deemed unable to manage their own affairs because they are vulnerable in some way. We will also pay the landlord if the tenant has rent arrears of eight weeks or more, or has left a property owing rent arrears and there is an outstanding payment of Housing Benefit due.
Related Questions
- Can I choose to stop claiming Housing Benefit for a week so that I can claim under the Local Housing Allowance rules?
- How much Housing Benefit / Local Housing Allowance can I claim if I am renting a private rented property?
- Why is Housing Benefit under the LHA scheme paid to the tenant rather than the landlord?
