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Working with Housing Benefit

Crisis experience with PRS schemes has shown time and again that effective working relations with Housing Benefit (HB) is central to the success of schemes. In the PRS, the new system for calculating HB is the Local Hosuing Allowance (LHA).
 
The Government has announced a major reform of Housing Benefit from April 2011, that will include resetting and restricting Local Housing Allowance, reducing certain claims including for those people on JSA for more than a year, and introducing maximum limits on Housing Benefit claims.  For more information download Crisis' Policy Briefing on the Housing Benefit cuts.
 
Chapter Eight of the Crisis Good Practice Guide offers advice on how best to work with your local HB department, how best to assist clients making a claim, how the new system of LHA works and a number of other issues to do with HB.
 
You can find a description of how LHA works, along with background, regulations and guidance, on the Department for Work and Pensions website. The Homeless Link website provides a useful information on LHA.  You can also download the DWP's Local Housing Allowance Guidance Manual.
  
The Direct Gov website also has a section on LHA which is aimed at tenants. LHA Direct is another useful resource that is also aimed at tenants.
 
If you know of any further guidance or resources relating to supporting homeless people to move into the PRS, please us at private.renting@crisis.org.uk