Universal Credit and help with your rent

• you get Housing Benefit
• and your circumstances haven't changed

You'll stay on Housing Benefit for now, and move to Universal Credit some time after July 2019. The DWP will send you a letter nearer the time, telling you exactly when you need to move to Universal Credit and how you do this. 

• you get Housing Benefit
• and your circumstances have changed

Depending on how your circumstances have changed, legacy benefits may be no longer available to you. If this is the case, you can choose to claim Universal Credit.

Once you claim Universal Credit, your Housing Benefit claim will end, unless:

• you're in specified, or temporary, accommodation (see the definition of these below)

• you get Universal Credit
• and you live in 'specified' accommodation (see definition below)

• you get Universal Credit
• and you live in 'temporary' accommodation (see definition below)

If you went onto Universal Credit before 11 April 2018 and your rent hasn’t changed, you’ll continue to get help with your rent as part of your Universal Credit payment. If the cost of your rent has changed, you should claim Housing Benefit for your rent costs.

If you go onto Universal Credit after 11 April 2018, you still need to claim Housing Benefit from us for help with your rent.

If you're already getting Universal Credit when you move into temporary accommodation, you should claim Housing Benefit for your rent costs.

•  you are a member of a couple or a polygamous relationship where
•  at least one person is over pensionable age and,
•  at least one person is under pensionable age

Your benefits will be worked out according to the arrangements for working age people. This will continue to be the case you and your partner(s) are all of pensionable age.
More information can be found on the GOV.UK website. 

• you live with your partner as a couple
• and both of you are pension age