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Housing beneft.


sailor0500

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Having lived aboard and cruised for many years in various craft I have now secured a residential mooring. I am told that I am entitled to pension credit and I emailed the local council to see if I could make a claim for council tax benefit. Received a reply saying I am entitled not only to full council tax rebate but also that they would pay the cruising license in full and also housing benefit for the mooring fee, although I may not be entitled to the full mooring fee as this would be referred to the Housing Assessment Office for a decision on the maximum amount payable. Does anyone have experience of this, and on what do they base their assessment.

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As with many benefits HB is means tested but IIRC the first £15k of savings is exempt. Council tax rebate as you have been told plus your licence and mooring fees, the licence because it is a payment you have to pay to float your home on the water and likewise mooring fees equate to rent

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Thanks.

What I don't understand is how they assess what the "maximum allowable housing benefit " payment for the mooring is. It seems that they do this and then decide what percentage of the maximum allowable rent is payable after looking at your personal circumstances.

As I understand it the "maximum allowable housing benefit" is arrived at by looking at rents charged for similar moorings in the area. Does anyone know if this is correct?

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Thanks.

What I don't understand is how they assess what the "maximum allowable housing benefit " payment for the mooring is. It seems that they do this and then decide what percentage of the maximum allowable rent is payable after looking at your personal circumstances.

As I understand it the "maximum allowable housing benefit" is arrived at by looking at rents charged for similar moorings in the area. Does anyone know if this is correct?

Best bet is to apply and see were it goes as all councils seem to have varying rules and regs and asking us lot will only get you part of the correct answer.

Phil

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Thanks.

What I don't understand is how they assess what the "maximum allowable housing benefit " payment for the mooring is. It seems that they do this and then decide what percentage of the maximum allowable rent is payable after looking at your personal circumstances.

As I understand it the "maximum allowable housing benefit" is arrived at by looking at rents charged for similar moorings in the area. Does anyone know if this is correct?

 

I think it is assessed by looking at rents charged for the type of accommodation you qualify for, in the area.

 

A single adult bloke might, for example, qualify for a one bedroom house or flat. The cost of a local one bed flat would form the benchmark for your benefit award. If you choose to live in accommodation more expensive you'll have to fund the difference. Not sure what happens if you choose to live in accommodation that is cheaper.

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As Mike suggests, I imagine the Housing Benefit people are simply interested in whether or not your housing costs (mooring + licence fee) are more or less than the amount they deem adequate to meet your housing needs (with the benchmark being the local rent on a cheapish flat/house of an appropriate size for the number of people in your household).

 

So, if you'd be entitled to, say, a maximum of £500 a month for a one-bed house or flat, and your mooring and licence fees come to £400 a month, I imagine you'd get the full £400. If they come to £600, I imagine you'd get £500. That is, you'd be treated like anyone else who in the opinion of the Housing Benefit people was spending more on housing than they needed to (e.g. because their house was larger or just nicer than it needed to be).

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I think it is assessed by looking at rents charged for the type of accommodation you qualify for, in the area.

 

A single adult bloke might, for example, qualify for a one bedroom house or flat. The cost of a local one bed flat would form the benchmark for your benefit award. If you choose to live in accommodation more expensive you'll have to fund the difference. Not sure what happens if you choose to live in accommodation that is cheaper.

Correct (all of it).

Just for the record, a single bloke under 35 doesnt qualify for a 1 bed flat, only a room in a shared house.

(My bold) Under the last labour government you got to keep the difference, this no longer happens.

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Housing Benefit certainly does not come under politics, I have researched this and yes an individual can claim for housing costs.

 

It would need to be a residential marina, and the individuals sole address, with a post code..

 

I am not going down this route just yet but I could do if I needed too.

Edited by GreyLady
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There seems to be a great deal of confusion about housing benefit for boat moorings and marina berths.

What I am told so far is that housing benefit for a boat mooring is not decided by the local authority but must be referred to the Valuation Office Agency who would make a decision on the amount of rent which would be allowed.and that this would possibly not be the full amount of the mooring fee charged.

The allowed rent is calculated by reference to rents charged for other similar moorings in the local reference area. I will be speaking to the Valuation Office Agency tomorrow for more information.

Edited by sailor0500
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It is true to say that the HB payable is decided by the rent officer under the old rules however if the cost of mooring plus licence, insurance and arguably bsc do not exceed your Local Housing Allowance that all of it should be paid. LHA rates should be found on your council's website.

 

Unlikely you'll get much info from VOA as the rent officer is an archaic limb they've largely forgotten about. Best to claim, keep an eye on correspondence and note that you have 28 days rather than the usual month to challenge a Rent Officer determination if it is not to your liking.

 

The Local Reference Rent; the amount used as the maxima for the area, should be the 30th centile of the mean range rent for the area plus licence, insurance and bsc. That might still be the mean but I'll check if you ask me to once there's a decision in hand.

 

Feel free to inbox me if you don't like the RO's determination.

 

It doesn't need to be a residential mooring and as you are over 35.there is no question of the single room rate applying.

Edited by Smelly
  • Greenie 1
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As with many benefits HB is means tested but IIRC the first £15k of savings is exempt. t

For working age people capital under 6k is exempt while 16k or over eliminates entitlement.

 

Over pension age or in residential care the lower threshold is 10K and for pensioners there is -for now- no upper capital threshold although the refs are written to change that.

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For working age people capital under 6k is exempt while 16k or over eliminates entitlement.

Over pension age or in residential care the lower threshold is 10K and for pensioners there is -for now- no upper capital threshold although the refs are written to change that.

Do the upper limits apply across the country, I ask because 77 year old who moors opposite me applied for HB and was turned down as he had a few bob put away. It did occur to me that he may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, he is getting a bit vague or slow of late
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Thanks Smelly for the advice. I will claim as soon as I take up the mooring,I will be paying from 1st of May but will not arrive on the mooring until mid May . If I have any problems I will message you. Mike.

Please let us know how you get on. It may be of help to others.

Phil

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There seems to be a great deal of confusion about housing benefit for boat moorings and marina berths.

What I am told so far is that housing benefit for a boat mooring is not decided by the local authority but must be referred to the Valuation Office Agency who would make a decision on the amount of rent which would be allowed.and that this would possibly not be the full amount of the mooring fee charged.

The allowed rent is calculated by reference to rents charged for other similar moorings in the local reference area. I will be speaking to the Valuation Office Agency tomorrow for more information.

You are correct, the Housing Benefit Department have to refer marina berths to the Valuation Officer for them to decide how much can be used in calculation of the Housing Benefit, these are different rules to Local Housing Allowance.

 

If you disagree with the amount that the Valuation Officer decides you can ask for the decision to be looked at again, this would have to be requested via the Housing Benefit office.

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  • 5 months later...

Just to round off this thread Housing Benefit has been paid to me for the total amount of the residential mooring plus the total amount of the license fee. Around £4500.00 a year. Hope this helps someone on basic state pension a I am.

Edited by sailor0500
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Just to round off this thread Housing Benefit has been paid to me for the total amount of the residential mooring plus the total amount of the license fee. Around £4500.00 a year. Hope this helps someone on basic state pension a I am.

 

 

Thank you for returning and giving an update. Not everyone bothers!!

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Just to round off this thread Housing Benefit has been paid to me for the total amount of the residential mooring plus the total amount of the license fee. Around £4500.00 a year. Hope this helps someone on basic state pension a I am.

I echo Mikes comment. Thanks for updating the story. I am glad you have had a positive outcome and you have had the assistance you need with your situation.

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