I have a client in private sector rented accom in receipt of hb. She is ready for signing tenancy agreement for a property with our housing association but cannot move in for approx 3 months as the property is for her and her disabled son - and is in the planning application stage of a major DFA. Can hb be claimed on the 2 properties in these circumstances?

Statia

A claimant can only receive payments of HB on two properties at the same time if they have moved into their new property and are still liable for rent on their old property, this is usually only where they have been obliged to take up a new tenancy at short notice and their liability to pay rent on their old property has not ended. This can only be paid for up to a period of four weeks.

Where tenant becomes liable for rent on a new dwelling, but are unable to move in because it is being adapted for them or a member of their family to meet disablement needs they are eligible for Housing Benefit for up four weeks BEFORE moving in, but only if the delay in moving is considered reasonable.

This means that your client cannot receive Housing Benefit for the new property in the situation you are describing.

Should rent be charged while the property is not habitable for someone in your clients circumstances?

......."Should rent be charged while the property is not habitable for someone in your clients circumstances?".....

An interesting point - as a Social landlord how does a HA expect a person to find the rent on two properties for something in the region of three months, when one of them is uninhabitable - in addition, most HA are fully aware of the HB rules pointed as already, and therefore I would have thought should be looking carefully at adopting a blanket policy.....

Indeed, could it even be a DDA issue?