Landlords invited to open evenings
Landlords are invited to attend open evenings which have been arranged to explain a fundamental change to the way Housing Benefit is calculated and paid for people living in privately rented property.
Landlords are invited to attend open evenings which have been arranged to explain a fundamental change to the way Housing Benefit is calculated and paid for people living in privately rented property.
The meetings, which have been arranged by Lancaster City Council to explain the impact of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), will take place on the following days and venues:
March 10, Lancaster Town Hall, 4pm to 7pm
March 11, Morecambe Town Hall, 4pm to 7pm
Members of the council's Benefits Team and representatives from the Rent Service will be on hand to offer help and advice on the LHA scheme.
On April 7 LHA will replace the current system of using rents to establish the maximum Housing Benefit to which a person is entitled.
In the majority of cases payments will be made directly to the tenant rather than the landlord.
LHA will be based on the size of a person's household and is designed to pay the same amount to tenants with similar circumstances living in the same area.
For example, a household that needs two bedrooms will be paid the same rate regardless of where they live within the council’s boundaries.
Coun Roger Mace, leader of the council and cabinet member with responsibility for Revenues and Benefits, said: "Local Housing Allowance is a fundamental change that could have an impact on the way that landlords conduct their business.
"The council would therefore like to provide as much assistance and support as possible to ensure the smooth implementation of the new system and minimise the issues that both landlords and the council will face as we move to this new way of administering the Housing Benefit scheme."
If you are unable to attend one of the meetings, but still want more information about the LHA scheme, please contact the Benefits Team on 01524 582965 between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Date Updated: 19/03/09