GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL RENT IN ADVANCE SCHEME
INFORMATION FOR TENANTS ABOUT THE RENT IN ADVANCE SCHEME AND HOUSING BENEFIT
The rent in advance scheme is to help you secure your accommodation.
Once a property is found and it is agreed you are eligible for this scheme, and when you have moved in, the Housing Options team will pay the first four weeks’ rent to your landlord.
You may then claim housing benefit. Housing benefit is money to help you pay your rent.
When your housing benefit is worked out by the Benefits Service, the Benefits Service will then pay your first four weeks’ housing benefit to the Re-Housing Department. This is to reimburse the “up front” Rent In Advance payment made to your landlord.
After this, any future housing benefit you are entitled to will be paid to you (or to your landlord in certain cases). It will be paid every two weeks or every four weeks. 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.
After the Rent In Advance payment has been paid, how quickly the Benefits Service start paying your housing benefit depends how quickly 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.
If the Housing Options team or the Benefits Service ask you for information it is in your interest to provide this straight away.
Please remember to tell the Benefits service about any changes in the circumstances of anyone on your 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