What is Housing Benefit (HB)?

Housing Benefit is help towards your rent.

You do not have to be unemployed or getting Income Support to get Housing Benefit. If you have a low income, you may be entitled to some help with your rent.

The amount of benefit you get generally depends on the following:

  • your income and benefits
  • any other money, savings or investments you have
  • the income and savings of other people who live in your home.

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.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA)

From April 2008, Local Housing Allowance has taken the place of Housing Benefit for some private tenants. (This change does not affect your council tax benefit).

» More about Local Housing Allowance

Who can claim?

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

You will only be entitled to HB provided you do not have capital or savings over £16,000*. If you have any savings between £3,000* 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.

You can use our online benefits calculator to get an estimate of how much housing benefit or council tax benefit you may be entitled to.

Most students and some people from abroad are not eligible to claim HB, but you should seek advice first because each case is different.

People under 25

From 7 October 1996, HB for single people under the age of 25 and living in private rented accommodation was restricted to the "market rent" of a single room, with shared use of kitchen and bathroom. This HB restriction is known as the Single Room Rent.

This means that if you are single, under 25 years old, and live in private self-contained accommodation, HB 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.

How do I apply for Housing Benefit?

There are several ways to apply for Housing Benefit (and Council Tax Benefit):

Start date

Your entitlement will usually start from the Monday after we receive your form, or after you first contacted us asking to claim (but you must get your completed form to us within a month of contacting us). If you delay, you may receive less money. If you think you might be entitled to benefit, please make a claim as soon as possible.

Backdating

Sometimes we can pay benefit from an earlier date if you have good reason for not claiming earlier. If you want us to consider paying your benefit from an earlier date, tell us when you want benefit 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/Council Tax Benefit Form.

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

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 (external)

» More about Housing Benefit Appeals

Contact Us

Details of how to contact us are on the Revenues and Benefits Contacts Page.