Check if your tenant can claim Housing Benefit

Check if your tenant meets the conditions to claim Housing Benefit.

Anyone can claim, but there are no circumstances in which a person is automatically entitled to Housing Benefit.

The most important condition is that the person has reached pensionable age.  Additionally, your tenant must:

  • live in the property as their home and,
  • have to pay you to live there and,
  • have income and capital below certain limits.

People below pensionable age must normally claim help with their housing costs through Universal Credit.  The only exceptions to this rule are:

  1. People who have been placed in temporary accommodation by the Council.
  2. Accommodation where the tenant receives care support or supervision as part of the agreement (often referred to as 'supported exempt accommodation'.

More information is available on the Housing Benefit page.