If you are unsure whether you are eligible to claim or would be entitled to help please call and speak to one of our Benefit Officers who will be happy to advise you on all aspects of claiming. They will also be happy to calculate whether you are likely to qualify. It is important that you do not delay making your claim.
If you would like to check if you may be eligible yourself you can try our online benefits calculator.
To make a claim for Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit please visit the online forms section of our Online Services page.
You can claim Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit if you:
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receive income-based Jobseekers' Allowance
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receive Income Support
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receive income-related Employment and Support Allowance
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receive Pension Credit or
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have a low income
If you receive income-based Jobseekers' Allowance, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee element of Pension Credit, you will get the maximum amount of Housing/Council Tax Benefit allowable, although the income of any other adults living with you may be taken into account. You can find out more about Jobseekers' Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support on the Department for Works and Pensions website. For more information on Pension Credit, visit The Pension Service website.
If you do not get income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or the guaranteed element of Pension Credit, the amount of Benefit you get depends on:
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the amount of eligible rent that you pay
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the amount of Council Tax that you pay
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how many people live with you
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your personal circumstances
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how much money you have coming in and
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how much you have in savings
Your Housing Benefit will normally be paid directly into your bank or building society account. It may be possible to pay your Housing Benefit directly to your Landlord if you rent from a Housing Association or it is deemed that you are likely to have difficulty managing your own finances.
If you are currently paid by cheque and would like to receive your benefit faster by BACS please complete the 'Bank details form' which can be found on our online forms section of our Online Services page. You can also complete this online form to advise us of a change to your bank account.
If you rent from a private landlord and would like to request payment directly to your landlord please visit the Local Housing Allowance page where you can print off a form to request this.
You cannot get Housing/Council Tax
Benefit if:
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You, or you and your partner between you, have more than £16,000 in savings (with the exception of some people who receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit). A partner is someone you are married to, in a civil partnership with or someone you live with as if you are married or in a civil partnership.
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If you pay rent to a close relative who lives with you or to a former partner for the home where you used to live together
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In most cases if you are a student in full-time higher education (degree level or equivalent). There are a few exceptions so please telephone us for further advice.
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In most cases if you are an asylum seeker
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If you are a person sponsored to be in the UK
Housing/Council Tax Benefit may be restricted if:
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Other persons over 18 who live with you (known as non-dependants), live with you who could be expected to pay towards their accommodation (even if they don't)
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In most cases, if you are single and under 25 years of age
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You rent a property that is too big for your household needs and the Local Housing Allowance is lower than your rental liability.
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In some cases if your rent includes charges for services. These would be in respect of water charges, heating, lighting or cooking or payments for food and fuel.
Local Housing Allowance
Local Housing Allowance (or LHA as it is known) will be based on the location of the property and how many people live in your household, rather than the actual rent being charged. LHA will take into account the number of bedrooms required by the claimant and their household. Claimants living in the same locality with the same household members will find that, in the majority of cases, they are entitled to the same LHA rate regardless of the rent they pay.
Local Housing Allowance replaced the old scheme of referring rents to the rent officer, however if you have an existing claim which started prior to April 2008 then you will continue on the old scheme and your rent will be referred to the Rent Officer. For further information please see our Local Housing Allowance page or visit the LHA Direct website using this link. For a list of LHA rates please see the LHA rates page.
The Rent Service
The Rent Service (TRS) is an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions and has recently been taken over by The Valuation Office. TRS provides valuations for Local Authorities in England, for use in the assessment of claims for Housing Benefit where the tenant is renting from a private landlord, The Rent Service will only provide decisions for claims made prior to April 2008 that are currently in payment with no breaks in the claim.
Second Adult Rebate
You may be able to have your Council Tax bill reduced, regardless of your own circumstances (including earnings and savings) because other people who live with you are on benefit or a low income. In such cases you should make a claim for Second Adult Rebate. You cannot claim Second Adult Rebate if you are married or have a partner.
Appeals and Complaints
If you are refused Housing/Council Tax Benefit and you think the decision is wrong, or you think the amount of benefit has been calculated incorrectly, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again, or you can appeal. You should do this within one month of the date the decision is notified to you.
If you are not happy with the service you have received from the Benefit section, you can complain. You can do this whether or not you are also challenging the entitlement decision.
Discretionary Housing Payments
If your award of Housing Benefit does not cover your full rent and you feel you are unable to afford the shortfall in your rent you may be eligible for some extra help. Please see our Discretionary Housing Payment page for details.
