GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL RENT IN ADVANCE SCHEME
INFORMATION FOR LANDLORDS ABOUT THE RENT IN ADVANCE SCHEME AND HOUSING BENEFIT
The rent in advance scheme is to help tenants secure their accommodation.
Once a tenant is found and is agreed to be eligible for this scheme, and when he/she has moved in, the Housing options team will pay the first four weeks’ rent to you.
Your tenant may then claim housing benefit. Housing benefit is money to help tenants pay their rent.
When the tenant’s housing benefit is worked out by the Benefits Service, the Benefits Service will then pay the first four weeks’ housing benefit to the Housing options. This is to reimburse the “up front” Rent In Advance payment made to you.
After this, any future benefit your tenant is entitled to will be paid to him/her (or to you in cases where he/she is vulnerable). It will be paid every four weeks (or if it is paid to your tenant he/she can choose to receive it every fortnight). It will be paid “in arrears”, which means it is paid at the end of the period it relates to. For example, a payment for the period 1 January to 28 January will be paid on 28 January.
How soon the Benefits Service start paying the housing benefit depends how soon we receive all the information we need. A delay in receiving this may mean a delay between the Housing options team paying the Rent In Advance payment to the landlord and the Benefits Service paying the first housing benefit.
Please remember to tell the Benefits service about any changes in the circumstances of anyone on the benefit claim.
If you have any questions about Rent In Advance – phone 01452 396536.
If you have any questions about your Housing Benefit – phone 01452 396472.
Last Modified: Tuesday 27 March 2012