Housing benefit query

A question about : Housing benefit query

Hi
Sorry not sure if I am sending this properly but I am seeking Housing Benefit advice. In a nutshell I have a mortgage and can no longer meet the repayments, the lender has declined my lower offers and I have written to them stating I cannot increase the offer. I am now awaiting their reply. In the meantime I would like to know what would happen if I was to move out of here and look to rent a property? Would I get Housing Benefit if I chose to move out of my home? Would I need to be evicted by the lender in order that I could get Housing Benefit? Any info would be much appreciated, thanks.

Best answers:

• If you are taking reasonable steps to sell the house the capital can be ignored for 26 weeks. After that if it's not sold it is taken into account as mynameistallulah has explained.
• hi, thanks for replies.
  my house is in really bad negative equity and if i was lucky enough to sell it i would be left with a shortfall of about Ј40-Ј45,000. So if I had house up for sale and no chance of any equity or capital from it would I be Ok to apply for Housing Benefit for a rented house or am I better staying put and waiting until house is sold or I am told to leave?
• https://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/hbgm-bw1-...of-capital.pdf
  Thy will assess the value of your capital minus any mortgage secured on it etc:
  W1.430 Capital should be valued at its current market or surrender value less 10% if there are costs
  involved in disposing of it. The 10% is the standard allowance that is applied whatever the
  actual costs of disposal. Any charge or debt secured against it should also be deducted.
• mrswallace
  have a look at the others who have replied to your post, but also look at the CAB website
  www.adviceguide.org.uk and search 'housing benefit'. You cannot claim housing benefit whilst you are living inyour own home but once it is sold you can claim hb providing you fit the criteria as given on our website.
  Hope this helps
• re Dunroamin post.
  I do apologise for not giving the correct link to CAB Adviceguide the one you have given is correct.
  I quote from CAB information on claiming for Housing Benefit.
  " Housing Benefit cannot be claimed for the costs of owning your own home, only if you are a tenant. Housing costs for home owners can usually be claimed through other means tested benefits, such as income support, jobseekers allowance etc."
  Hope this is clear now.
• CAB Wyer Forest representative.
  Just a polite request that you do not edit your posts without identifying what has changed. It makes the thread very confusing - particularly where the original post has been quoted in a reply and/or the edit has changed the advice originally given.