Inquilab Housing Association | Rent and Benefits

Why do you need my rent?

It is your responsibility to pay your rent and service charges, as detailed in your tenancy or lease agreement. 

Your rent and service charges are what we rely on to help us provide a full range of services to our residents. This includes day-to-day repairs, major repair and improvements to homes.  

How much rent do I pay?

Tenants:

•  Rent levels have been given to us by the government
•  This is based on your house value and the average income of the people living in your area

Shared owners:

•  You will pay rent as well as making mortgage repayments
•  Your rent will depend on the value of the part of the property that we own
•  We will charge a percentage of this amount and this will be the rent you will be paying each year

To see the various methods of payment available please click here

 So what happens if I don't pay my rent on time?

Tenants:

 You are at risk of losing your home if you don't keep up with your rent payments.

•  We will contact you and find out the issue
•  We will make an agreement with you to work out a repayment plan at a rate you can afford, taking into consideration your circumstances
•  Offer you advice about benefits

Shared owners:

If you are a shared owner:

•  Rent and service charges are paid in advance for the full sum monthly
•  We may agree to a repayment plan depending on your circumstances
•  Further action will be taken if this is not kept to

BEDROOM TAX

If you claim housing benefit to help pay your rent you may be affected by the Bedroom Tax changes in housing benefit from the 1^st April 2013.  The changes mean that some people will get less housing benefit than they did before.

How many bedrooms do you have?
From April 2013, if you live in a council or housing association home and you have one or more ‘spare’ bedrooms your housing benefit may be reduced.

This could affect you:
✔ if you are 16 to 61 years old
✔ even if you only get a small amount of housing benefit – for example, if you are working
✔ even if you are sick or disabled

You won’t be affected if:
✘ you live in a one bedroom flat or bedsit, or if
✘ you or your partner are old enough to receive pension credits.
In April 2013 the pension credit age will be around 61 years and 6 months

What is a ‘spare’ bedroom?
Under the new rules if you have more bedrooms than the Government says you need, you will lose part of your housing benefit. The new rules mean you will be allocated one bedroom for:

• each adult couple
• any other person aged 16 or over
• two children of the same sex under the age of 16
• two children under the age of 10 regardless of their sex
• any other child
• a carer (who does not normally live with you) if you or your partner need overnight care.

It does not matter how the ‘spare’ bedroom is used, the new rules will apply even if:

• you and your partner need to sleep apart because of a medical condition
• the main residence of your children is another address, but you have a spare room for when they stay with you.

 
What happens if you have a ‘spare’ bedroom?
If you have one ‘spare’ bedroom your housing benefit will be cut by 14% of the rent you pay every week. If you have two or more spare bedrooms, you will lose 25%.  If your benefit is cut you will have to pay your landlord
the difference between your housing benefit and your rent.

What should I do:

There are a few options available, please click on the pdf documents below for information.

• DOWN SIZING Complete a TRANSFER APPLICATION or register on HOMESWAPPER to move to more suitable accommodation and free up your property for a family
• PAYING the charges yourself.
• Renting out the spare rooms to LODGERS
• Make a claim for DISCRETIONARY housing benefit