You are responsible for your temporary accommodation licence fee and Council Tax charges.
Failure to pay your licence fee may result in you losing your temporary accommodation. If the Council has a full housing duty to you this may end if you lose your temporary accommodation and we will no longer have a duty to find you permanent accommodation. If you are at risk of not paying then you must contact the Accommodation Team by emailing TAFinance@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:TAFinance@coventry.gov.uk] as soon as possible.
If you need to place your household items into storage we can arrange this for you however you will be responsible for the full cost of removals and storage. More information can be found in the storage charging flyer [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/32778/storage_charging_flyer].
You will also be responsible for the utilities (electric/gas/water) that you use in your temporary accommodation. More information can be found in the Help with utilities leaflet [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/32777/help_with_utilities_leaflet]. Information on how to reduce your energy bills can be found in the Energy advice leaflet [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/32776/energy_advice_leaflet].
How much will I have to pay?
The licence fee charges are based upon the current Coventry Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates for the size of the property you are placed in. This is the maximum you will be required to pay – the actual amount you will have to pay is dependent on your income and how much help you receive through Housing Benefit.
| Property size | Weekly LHA rate (before 1 April) | Weekly LHA rate (after 1 April) |
|---|---|---|
| Shared accommodation | £77.50 | £99.50 |
| 1-bedroom accommodation | £112.77 | £132.33 |
| 2-bedroom accommodation | £132.33 | £155.34 |
| 3-bedroom accommodation | £155.34 | £178.36 |
| 4-bedroom accommodation | £201.37 | £230.14 |
You will be asked to make an application for Housing Benefit before being placed into Temporary Accommodation. The Council’s Housing Benefits team will write to you to let you know if, and how much, housing benefit you are entitled to once they have assessed your claim. If you are not in receipt of full housing benefit you will be asked to make a contribution towards the licence fee. We will contact you to let you know how much you need to pay.
Please be aware it is vital that you complete a Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support application [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/54/benefits/1382/housing_benefit_and_council_tax_support] before being placed into temporary accommodation. You must also provide any additional information requested. Failure to do so could result in you being charged the full licence fee.
The Council Tax charge will depend on the Council Tax band [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/55/council_tax/2285/council_tax_bands_and_charges] for the property. If you are in receipt of benefits then you may be entitled to a significant reduction in the cost. This will be calculated by the Council Tax team – they will inform you of the amount you are required to pay and how to make payment.
Help and support available
If you are on a low income you may be entitled to housing benefit and Council Tax support [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/54/benefits/1382/housing_benefit_and_council_tax_support] payments towards these costs but it is your responsibility to make a claim.
If you are in receipt of housing benefit you may be able to apply for help to pay the storage costs through the Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/54/benefits/3055/discretionary_housing_payments] scheme.
If you are struggling to meet any of the charges please contact the Accommodation Team as soon as possible by emailing TAFinance@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:TAFinance@coventry.gov.uk].