What is Housing Benefit (HB)?

Housing Benefit is help towards paying your rent.

You do not have to be unemployed or be on benefits to get it.

You may be entitled to housing benefit (or Council Tax Benefit) if you get a pension, or if you work and are on a low income.

The amount of benefit you get generally depends on:

  • Your income and benefits
  • Any other money, savings or investments you have
  • The income and savings of other people who live in your home

Local Housing Allowance (LHA)

Since April 2008, Local Housing Allowance has replaced Housing Benefit for some private tenants. This change does not affect your Council Tax Benefit.

» More about Local Housing Allowance

How to apply for Housing Benefit

» There are several ways to apply for Housing Benefit

Who can claim?

You can claim Housing Benefit if you are working or unemployed. Usually only people on a low income or getting certain state benefits qualify for it

Most students and some people from abroad are not eligible to claim Housing Benefit, but please ask us first, as each case is different.

You cannot get Housing Benefit if you have more than £16,000 in savings, stocks and shares or other capital (not including some special payments such as war atrocities payments) unless you receive Guaranteed Pension Credit.

If you have any savings between £6,000 and £16,000 they will be taken into account in calculating your income and may reduce the amount of HB you get.

If you are not sure if you earn too much to qualify, you should claim anyway.

» Use our online benefits calculator to get an estimate of how much Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you could get

Single people under 25

Housing Benefit for single people under the age of 25 and living in private rented accommodation is restricted to the "market rent" for a single room, with shared use of kitchen and bathroom. This restriction was known as the Single Room Rent but is now called the Shared Accommodation Rate.

Similar rules apply to single people under 25 claiming Local Housing Allowance.

This means that if you are single, under 25 years old, and live in private self-contained accommodation, Housing Benefit may not cover all the rent you have to pay. You will have to pay the rest of your rent out of your own income.

There are some cases where this limit does not apply if you:

  • Live in council or some housing association properties
  • Have a child or children living with you
  • Have recently left care
  • Have a disability, in some cases

Single people under 35, from January 2012

The age limit for the Shared Accommodation Rate is increasing to 35 years from January 2012.

This means that the maximum benefit we can pay to single people under 35 will be limited to the shared accommodation rate from the date of the next anniversary of your claim after January 2012, even if you currently live in a larger property. This may be a lot less than the one-bedroom rate. If so, you will have to make up any shortfall in rent yourself, negotiate a lower rent, or consider moving to cheaper accommodation.

» More about the Shared Accommodation Rate and restrictions for people under 25/under 35

Civil partnerships and same sex couples

On 5 December 2005, the Civil Partnership Act came into force, giving legal recognition to same sex couples.

For Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit purposes, this means that same sex couples who are living together in a Civil Partnership, or who are living together as if they were in a Civil Partnership, must now claim these benefits jointly. We will assess your claim based on your joint income and circumstances.

If this applies to your claim, please complete all the details for you and your partner on these forms. In addition, if you get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit but then start living with someone as a couple at a later date, you must tell us about the change.

When will my benefit start from?

Your benefit will usually start:

  • From the Monday after we receive your form
  • Or after you first contacted us asking to claim. You must get your completed form to us within a month of contacting us

If you delay, you may get less benefit.

If you think you might be entitled, make a claim as soon as possible so you don't lose out.

Backdating

Sometimes we can pay benefit from an earlier date if there is a continuous good reason why you did not claim from that date.

If you want us to consider paying your benefit from an earlier date, tell us when you want benefit paid from and why you did not claim earlier.

If you delay claiming without a good reason, you may lose money.

What information do I need to supply?

To help us process your benefit application accurately and quickly, please provide us with all the information we need such as:

  • Your tenancy agreement (if you have one), rent book, letter from your landlord with details of your home and rent;
  • Proof of income and capital, e.g.: payslips, bank statements, building society accounts, stocks and shares.
  • A completed Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit Form.

Please also see the New Rules for Claiming Benefit ("Verification Framework")

How is benefit paid?

Housing Benefit can usually be paid to you or directly to your landlord if you are a council or housing association tenant, or a private tenant whose claim started before 7 April 2008 and you haven't moved since then or had a break in your claim.

If you receive Local Housing Allowance (private tenants whose tenancy or benefit claim started after 7 April 2008) we have to pay your benefit to you. We can only pay it direct to your landlord in special circumstances.

» More about how benefit is paid

Overpaid Housing Benefit

There are special rules that apply if you or your landlord are paid more benefit that you are entitled to

» More about Housing Benefits Overpayments

Housing Benefit appeals

If you disagree with a decision about your HB (or Council Tax Benefit), you can appeal, but there are time limits. You must put any appeal in writing, and it will help to keep copies of your letters.

Before you make an appeal:

  • Ask the Revenues and Benefits Service to give you written reasons for their decision.

If you are still not satisfied with their decision

  • You can ask for an “internal review” by Benefits staff
  • You can ask for a hearing by a tribunal, administered by the Appeals Service Agency
    • The Appeals Service Agency is independent of the Council
    • You can find out more about them on their website at www.appeals-service.gov.uk

» More about Housing Benefit appeals

Contact us

Details of how to contact us are on the Revenues and Benefits contacts page.