How we calculate Housing Benefit

We use the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rules to work out how much Housing Benefit private rented tenants are entitled to.

To calculate your tenant's benefit payment we take into account:

• their income
• their capital or savings
• the size of their family
• the property they're living in

Paying Housing Benefit directly to you

We usually pay Housing Benefit straight into your tenant’s bank account. We may decide to pay it directly to you if they:

• have more than eight weeks rent arrears
• have a history of rent arrears
• don't use their Housing Benefit to pay their rent
• have difficulties managing their finances
• have received a reduction in their rent from you to help keep their tenancy

If you're paid directly, you can see your tenant's Housing Benefits payments online in My Bentax.

Tenants with more than eight weeks rent arrears

If your tenant's more than eight weeks in arrears with their rent, you can ask us to pay their Housing Benefit directly to you. We'll need evidence of the amount of arrears, the number of weeks and the details of any action you’ve taken.

If your tenant's Housing Benefit doesn't cover their full rent, they'll have to pay you any shortfall.

If you know your tenant receives Housing Benefit, please contact us before you take any court action. We may be able to make future payments to you to avoid their eviction.

Tenants who want their Housing Benefit paid directly to their landlord

If your tenant prefers to have their Housing Benefit paid straight to you, they can request this by filling in our online form.

If your tenant moves out

If we pay your tenant's rent directly to you, you need to tell us if they move out by filling in our online form.

Find out about the other changes to your tenant’s circumstances that we also need to know about.

Information we can share with you

If we pay Housing Benefit directly to your tenant, we won’t be able to discuss any of their details with you.

If we pay the benefit directly to you, we can share some information with you. This includes details of our payments to you and about any overpayments.