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Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you鈥檙e unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It鈥檚 being replaced by Universal Credit.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if either of the following apply:

• you have reached State Pension age
• you鈥檙e in supported, sheltered or temporary housing

You鈥檝e reached State Pension age

If you鈥檙e single you can make a new claim for Housing Benefit.

If you鈥檙e over State Pension age and live with your partner

You can make a new claim for Housing Benefit if any of the following apply:

• you and your partner have both reached State Pension age
• one of you has reached State Pension age and started claiming Pension Credit (for you as a couple) before 15 May 2019
• you鈥檙e in supported, sheltered or temporary housing

If you鈥檙e over State Pension age and have an existing claim

Your existing claim will not be affected if, before 15 May 2019, you:

• were getting Housing Benefit
• had reached State Pension age

It does not matter if your partner is under State Pension age.

If your circumstances change and your Housing Benefit is stopped, you cannot start getting it again unless you and your partner are eligible to make a new claim.

You can apply for Universal Credit if you鈥檙e not eligible.

If you鈥檙e in supported, sheltered or temporary housing

You can make a new claim if:

• you鈥檙e living in temporary accommodation, such as a B&B arranged by your council
• you鈥檙e living in a refuge for survivors of domestic abuse
• you鈥檙e living in sheltered or supported housing (such as a hostel) which provides you with 鈥榗are, support or supervision鈥�

If you do not get 鈥榗are, support or supervision鈥� through your supported or sheltered housing, you can apply for Universal Credit to help with housing costs.

If you鈥檙e in supported, sheltered or temporary housing, you can apply for Universal Credit to help with other living costs.

When you may not be able to claim

Usually, you will not get Housing Benefit if:

• your savings are over 拢16,000 - unless you get Guarantee Credit of Pension Credit
• you鈥檙e paying a mortgage on your own home - you may be able to get Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
• you live in the home of a close relative
• you鈥檙e already claiming Universal Credit (unless you鈥檙e in temporary or supported housing)
• you live with your partner and they are already claiming Housing Benefit
• you鈥檙e a full-time student
• you鈥檙e residing in the UK as a European Economic Area (EEA) jobseeker
• you鈥檙e an asylum seeker or sponsored to be in the UK
• you鈥檙e subject to immigration control and your granted leave states that you cannot claim public funds
• you鈥檙e a Crown Tenant
• you鈥檝e reached State Pension age but your live-in partner has not - unless you had an existing claim as a couple before 15 May 2019

You may be able to get other help with housing costs.

If not, you鈥檒l need to claim Universal Credit instead.

You may get help with all or part of your rent. There鈥檚 no set amount of Housing Benefit and what you get will depend on whether you rent privately or from a council.

Use a benefits calculator to work out what you could get or check what extra help is available.

Council and social housing rent

How much you get depends on:

• your 鈥榚ligible鈥� rent
• if you have a spare room
• your household income - including benefits, pensions and savings (over 拢6,000)
• your circumstances, for example the age of people in the house or if someone has a disability

Eligible rent

Your eligible rent is the amount used to calculate your Housing Benefit claim. It鈥檚 your actual rent plus any service charges you have to pay (such as for lift maintenance or a communal laundry) but not things like heating or water costs for your home.

Spare bedrooms

Your Housing Benefit could be reduced if you live in council or social housing and have a spare bedroom. The reduction is:

• 14% of the 鈥榚ligible rent鈥� for 1 spare bedroom
• 25% of the 鈥榚ligible rent鈥� for 2 or more spare bedrooms

Sharing bedrooms

The following are expected to share:

• an adult couple
• 2 children under 16 of the same sex
• 2 children under 10 (regardless of sex)

The following can have their own bedroom:

• a single adult (16 or over)
• a child that would normally share but shared bedrooms are already taken, for example you have 3 children and 2 already share
• a couple or children who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
• an overnight carer for you, your partner, your child or another adult - this is only if the carer does not live with you but sometimes has to stay overnight

One spare bedroom is allowed for:

• an approved foster carer who is between placements but only for up to 52 weeks from the end of the last placement
• a newly approved foster carer for up to 52 weeks from the date of approval if no child is placed with them during that time

Rooms used by students and members of the armed or reserve forces will not be counted as 鈥榮pare鈥� if they鈥檙e away and intend to return home.

Private rent

If you rent privately, your eligible rent amount is either your or your actual rent, whichever is lower. The LHA rate is based on:

• where you live
• your household size -

How much you can get

How much you get depends on:

• the lower figure of your 鈥榚ligible鈥� rent or LHA rate
• your household income including benefits, pensions and savings (over 拢6,000)
• your circumstances (for example your age or whether you have a disability)

Contact your local council if you鈥檙e living in:

• a houseboat or a mooring
• a caravan site
• a room with any meals included in the rent (sometimes known as a boarding home)
• a hostel
• a Rent Act protected property

Exception

If you鈥檝e been getting Housing Benefit since before 7 April 2008, these limits only apply if you:

• change address
• have a break in your claim for Housing Benefit

How you鈥檙e paid

The way you get paid Housing Benefit by your council depends on the type of tenant you are.

If you鈥檙e a:

• council tenant, it鈥檚 paid into your rent account (you will not receive the money)
• private or housing association tenant, it鈥檚 paid into your bank or building society account (rarely by cheque)

The benefit cap

The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.

If you鈥檙e affected, your Housing Benefit will go down to make sure that the total amount of benefit you get is not more than the cap level.

Appeal a Housing Benefit decision

Contact your local council to appeal a Housing Benefit decision.

You鈥檒l need to provide some information and evidence to support your claim for Housing Benefit.

You鈥檒l get Housing Benefit faster if you have this available when you make your claim.

You鈥檒l need to know:

• how much rent you pay
• whether anything else is included in the rent, such as water, gas or electricity charges
• if you pay any service charges, including building maintenance or insurance
• your landlord or agent鈥檚 details

Special types of tenancy

If your current tenancy started in 1997 or earlier and you rent from a private landlord, you鈥檒l need to know if you have an 鈥榓ssured tenancy鈥�. You can .

If you live in and pay rent for a government property (a 鈥楥rown Tenant鈥�), you鈥檙e not entitled to Housing Benefit. This includes armed forces living in service family accommodation (SFA).

Evidence you鈥檒l have to provide

You鈥檒l need to provide original documents, not copies. The supporting evidence you鈥檒l need includes:

• your most recent payslips (5 if paid weekly, or 2 if paid monthly)
• bank or building society statements for the last 2 full months
• proof of other income or investments, including shares, ISAs or Premium Bonds
• proof of income for any non-dependants living with you, such as adult relatives or friends

You鈥檒l also need proof of your partner鈥檚 name and address. You cannot use the same document to prove both their name and address.

Provide any 2 of the following:

• UK photocard driving licence
• current passport
• birth or marriage certificate
• certificate of registration or naturalisation
• permanent residence card
• letter from HMRC or the Home Office
• recent utility bill
• recent bank or building society statement
• recent benefit award statements

If you rent from a private landlord

You鈥檒l also need to provide one of the following:

• a tenancy agreement or rent book
• a letter from your landlord confirming your tenancy - this is usually supplied at the start of your tenancy

Check if you鈥檙e eligible for Housing Benefit before you apply.

You can either apply:

• through your local council
• as part of a Pension Credit claim, if you鈥檙e eligible for this

You鈥檒l need to provide evidence to support your Housing Benefit claim.

If you鈥檙e applying for Pension Credit

You can apply for Housing Benefit as part of your Pension Credit application.

Apply for Pension Credit online or contact the Pension Service to claim.

The Pension Service will send details of your claim for Housing Benefit to your council.

Claiming in advance and backdating

You can claim in advance by up to 13 weeks (or 17 weeks if you鈥檙e aged 60 or over), for example if you鈥檙e moving. You will not usually get any money before you move.

You might also be able to get your claim backdated - ask your council.

Appeal a decision聽

If you鈥檙e unhappy with a housing benefit decision, you can challenge the decision by:

• asking the council to review their decision
• appealing against it at a tribunal

Get help and advice when appealing a decision

You can get free help and advice from:

You can also seek advice from a legal adviser or solicitor.

You need to report a change of circumstances for you and anyone else in your house.

Your claim might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change of circumstances straight away.

Changes can include:

• starting or stopping work, education, training or an apprenticeship
• changes to the benefits you or anyone else in your house gets
• changes to your personal or workplace pension
• changes to your savings, investments or property
• your income going up or down
• moving house
• your rent going up or down
• going abroad for any length of time
• going into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation
• people moving into or out of your house (for example your partner, a child or lodger)
• having a baby
• your partner or someone you live with dying
• your child turning 18
• changes to your immigration status, if you鈥檙e not a British citizen

Contact your council if you鈥檙e not sure whether you need to report a change.

How to report

Contact your council to report a change of circumstances.

If you receive other benefits

You need to report a change of circumstances for all benefits you receive.

If your other benefits stop

Some benefits stop if you go back to work, work more hours or earn more money.

If this happens, your council might:

• give you an extra 4 weeks of housing benefit (鈥楨xtended Payment of Housing Benefit鈥�)
• start paying you an 鈥榠n-work Housing Benefit鈥�

You do not have to claim - your council will decide if you鈥檙e eligible for help and write to let you know.

If you鈥檝e been paid too much

You may have to repay the money if you:

• did not report a change straight away
• gave wrong information
• were overpaid by mistake

Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.

Housing Benefit will not cover heating, hot water, energy or food. If you need help, use a benefits calculator to check what else you might be entitled to.

Extra help to pay the rent

You might be able to get extra money from your local council if your Housing Benefit does not cover all your rent. This is called a 鈥�Discretionary Housing Payment鈥�.

To apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment, contact your local council.

Help with heating costs

Check what help you can get with heating and energy costs.