Changes to Housing Benefit for single people (aged 25-35) in private rented accommodation - January 2012

The Government has changed the rules that apply to single people living in self-contained accommodation and aged 25 or more, but under 35.

From 1 January 2012 the age threshold for  application of the shared accommodation rate increased from 25 to 35. This means that single people aged under 35 will only be entitled to have their Housing Benefit assessed based on the shared accommodation rate of the Local Housing Allowance (rather than being able to claim for self-contained one-bedroom accommodation)unless they are covered by one of the exemptions. Please ask us for more information on exemptions.

This means that any Housing Benefit entitlement will be severely restricted.

Note - If you are under 25 and single you are not affected by these changes as in most cases you are already only entitled to the shared accommodation rate.

When will the change apply to me?
New claimants
Any single claimants under 35 who make a new claim on or after 1 January 2012 will only be entitled to the shared accommodation rate rather than the one-bedroom self-contained rate.

Existing claimants
If you are already in receipt of Housing Benefit single and under 35 you will usually move on to the shared rate of Local Housing allowance when your Housing Benefit claim is due to be reviewed from January 2012 onwards.

If you have been in receipt of Housing Benefit prior to the introduction of LHA in April 2008 you will move to the shared accommodation rate (previously known as the single room rent) on the annual review of your claim.

The current Local Housing Shared Accommodation Rate
We can not tell you the exact Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for shared accommodation that will apply when  you make a new claim /your claim is due to be reviewed as the rate may change from month to month. However the current shared accommodation rate  in the Monmouthshire  area is £ £55.38which will give you an indication of the likely rate to be included in your claim.

Further information is available in the Housing Benefit changes for private tenants aged between 25-35 leaflet.

Further information about these changes and the current shared accommodation rates in different parts of the country is available at the Direct Gov website (under local housing allowance) these rates are shown as the shared accommodation rates, but are only relevant to those who are assessed under the Local Housing Allowance rules.