Universal Credit and Housing

cwatson0000

Hi there, my local council have just placed me in a house share and it’s through the Rent Guarantee Scheme so I pay my rent to the council who then pay onwards to the private landlord. I’m confused because I get PIP and I get the 1 bedroom rate, and so because of the RGS the landlord gets that 1 bedroom rate which for my LHA is £792 and that’s what the rent is plus a service charge of £58 paid direct to the landlord. I understand that if you pay rent to a private landlord then it’s based on LHA, I’ve rented privately once before but I also know that when you pay directly to a council or housing association you’re meant to get your full housing paid as long as you don’t have spare bedrooms etc. what confuses me is if for example I didn’t get PIP anymore and I wasn’t entitled to the 1 bedroom rate , the shared room rate for my area is about £380 monthly so I wouldn’t be able to afford the £850 total with the rent and service charge, but because I pay my rent directly to the council would it change? The RGS is where the council find private landlords and then house people threatened with homelessness, but even though it’s a private landlord I still pay through the council so should I get my rent paid as full regardless or should I go by the LHA?