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Would a rent increase be considered a ‘change of circumstances’

apple85

My landlord has been nice enough to freeze rent on all his properties the past 5 years but is now considering putting them up as they are well below rental market value

would a rent increase trigger natural migration over to universal credit?

context:

I’m on legacy means tested (ir esa and housing benefit) and renting from a private landlord - for the first time after the housing benefit up rating in April 2024, my rent is slightly less than the amount of my bedroom allowance on the lha (local housing allowance)

Also if a rent increase happened I would only need to notify my local council (with the updated rental agreement paperwork) - I know on uc you’d need to notify the dwp but on legacy benefits housing is separate from esa and has nothing to do with the dwp?

thank you in advance

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Comments

OverlyAnxious

No, it won't trigger a UC migration. As you say, just need to contact the council who pays your legacy housing benefit. For mine, I can do it all online, and just upload a photo or scan of the new rental cost as proof.

poppy123456

Yes it would just be your LA you notify and not DWP. For me I would need to fill out a change of circumstances form, which can also be done online.

Same rules apply if you move house and remain with the same LA.

apple85

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/865305#Comment_865305

just to ultra clarify:

when you say ‘LA’ do you mean LHA?

And when you say ‘change of circumstance’ form (do you have a link to that form?) - that doesn’t trigger uc natural migration do it?

I never heard of a change of circumstance form or being able to update your rental agreement online - I’ve only ever submitted in person so this is all new to me (edit: do you mean the change of circumstance online form from your respective council as that would explain my own question)

My landlord hasn’t decided anything yet - he won’t raise my rent unless he raises all his tenants rent by a fair amount for their respective areas

poppy123456

LA = Local Authority (council) not LHA.

Yes, I mean change of circumstances form from your LA. I do not have a link to that form because whether that’s available online will depend on your LA. If I gave a to that form I would be revealing my location and I won’t do that. Although it’s national rules some LAs you won’t be able to do that online, which I should have stated in my previous comment.

I will confirm that overlyAnxious is correct and this is not a change that would prompt a move to UC.

apple85

great, fully understood

thank you poppy and @OverlyAnxious

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