Roadshows highlight benefit changes

Benefits staff will be hitting the road next week in a drive to raise awareness of forthcoming changes to housing benefit.

District of Easington Council will be holding roadshows around the district to inform residents of the introduction of a new way of calculating the amount of housing benefit a person is entitled to.

Local Housing Allowance, which comes into force from April, is a new way of working out housing benefit for some tenants on a low income living in private rented accommodation. It will be based on who lives in the house, number of rooms needed depending for the family size, which area a person lives in, their income, and any savings the claimant may have.

People living in council accommodation or other social housing will not be affected by the new system.
 
The roadshows will take place on:

26 February, 11am – 1pm Blackhall Resource Centre
27 February, 11am – 1pm Dawdon Community Centre
28 February, 11am – 1pm Asda carpark, Seaham
29 February, 11am – 1pm Horden Social Welfare Club
1 March, 10am – 1pm Peterlee Town Centre Market.

Peter Ward, District of Easington Council’s Executive Member for Resources, said: “Local Housing Allowance does not replace housing benefit, it is about how this entitlement is worked out.

“We are holding the roadshows around the district to ensure that people are aware of the new system, and I would urge people to come along and find out how the changes may affect them.”

Information and advice on entitlement to housing benefit is also available at anytime from District of Easington's Benefit Unit, contact 0191 5270501.