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Housing benefit

Housing benefit is paid every four weeks in arrears either directly to you or your landlord.

It is paid either into your bank account or you will receive a cheque crossed account payee or sent in a Giro direct to your landlord.

Housing benefit is only paid while you are resident in a property and entitlement ends as soon as you leave.

If you leave any rent due after that date is a matter for you to pursue with your landlord.

However, entitlement may continue during a temporary absence from the home.

You will be subject to various checks during your claim, such as a verification visit or a written check, and your benefit may end if you fail to respond to these requests.

However, housing benefit cannot be paid for the part of your rent which covers what we call ineligible services.

If you are charged a calendar monthly rent the appropriate weekly rent will be calculated and paid on in arrears on a four-week cycle.

For example, if your monthly rent is £350 per calendar month this is converted into a annual figure by multiplying it by 12 to give £4,200 per year.

This is then converted into a daily rate by dividing by 365 to give £11.506 per day and then multiplied by seven to produce a weekly rate of £80.55.

Therefore, if you are entitled to full housing benefit you would expect to receive £322.20 every four weeks which is four times the weekly charge of £80.55.


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