Usually you will have your benefit paid directly to you. It will be paid by crossed cheque and in the future there will be a facility to pay into your bank or building society account.
If you do not already have a bank or building society account, you may want to set one up. That way you can arrange to pay the rent to your landlord automatically, using a standing order.
LHA cannot be paid into a Post Office Card Account like some other benefits.
You can get advice about opening and running a bank account from any bank, building society or credit union. You can also get advice from a welfare organisation such as Citizens Advice. View the Citizens Advice Bureau's website.
It is up to you to pay the rent to your landlord. If you don't pay your rent, you may be taken to court and evicted from the property.
Your benefit is paid to you unless you are likely to have difficulty paying your rent, or it must be paid to your landlord.
If you are worried about managing your money, let us know. In some cases we may be able to pay your rent to your landlord if:
we consider that a tenant is unlikely to pay their rent
we think that a tenant cannot handle their own affairs
where a tenant is more than 8 weeks in arrears with their rent
If someone else looks after your money for you or there is a power of attorney, payment can be made to that person. Visit the British Bankers' Association (BBA) website for more advice.
In the event that we do pay your landlord we will only pay the landlord the contractual rent, so you will need to make arrangements to receive any difference. As the majority of people will have payment direct into their bank account, it will be a good way of allowing you to save this difference.
Your benefit is for you to pay your rent with. If you do not use your benefit to pay your rent, your landlord may take you to court or try to evict you and you may lose your home. If your rent is higher than the LHA then you will have to make up the difference to avoid getting into arrears, however if your rent is lower than the LHA, then you have the advantage of keeping the difference, of up to a maximum of £15.
If you are getting Housing Benefit and you move to a new address or other circumstances change, you should tell us immediately. You may need to make a new claim for Housing Benefit.
For more details, below you will find the following information:
For all enquiries please contact the Customer Service Centre
01753 475111
My Council
Landmark Place
High Street
Slough
opposite Slough Library
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