Am I entitled to help with housing costs?
Housing Benefit may help if you have to pay rent. Whether you are eligible depends on what income and capital you (and your partner) have. You don’t need to have worked in the past and there are no age limits. It is sometimes also possible to get help with existing mortgage payments (through Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit) and with Council Tax (through Council Tax Benefit).
Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit is sometimes called rent rebate or rent allowance. It is paid by Local Authorities to help those on low incomes cover their rent. You do not have to get any other benefits to receive Housing Benefit.Will anything affect my claim?
There are various points that you should be aware of:- If you live with a partner, only one of you can get Housing Benefit.
- Unless you are aged 60 or over, savings of over £16,000 usually mean you cannot get Housing Benefit.
- There are special rules if you are single and aged under 25.
- You cannot usually get Housing Benefit if you live in a close relative's household.
- You cannot usually get Housing Benefit if you are a full-time student. This would not apply however if you have been awarded Disability Living Allowance.
How is it worked out?
To work out your Housing Benefit, the Local Authority will look at:- Money you (and your partner) have coming in, including earnings, some benefits and tax credits and things like occupational pensions.
- Your savings (and your partner's savings); if these are over £6,000 they will affect how much Housing Benefit you can get.
- Your circumstances, such as your age, the ages and size of your family, your level of disability, and whether anyone who lives with you could help with the rent.
Local Housing Allowance
This is a new way of working out Housing Benefit for people who rent from a private landlord. It involves payment of a standard allowance, which is determined by the area the property is in and the number of people living in the property. This standard allowance is the same for everyone in the area, regardless of property size or the actual rent charged. It is then subject to a means test, in the same way as for normal Housing Benefit.If you rent from the Local Authority, however, your Housing Benefit will be calculated under the normal rules.
Help with mortgage payments
Income Support can also help with existing mortgage interest payments and certain other housing costs (such as ground rent) that you or your partner are liable for. However, Income Support will generally only cover interest repayments on existing mortgages (ie those taken out before you or your partner were on Income Support) of £100,000 or less.Similar help with existing mortgage interest payments is also available with income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and the Guarantee Credit of Pension Credit and, from October 2008, the income-related allowance of Employment and Support Allowance.
How to make a claim
If you claim Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will get forms to claim Housing Benefit (and Council Tax Benefit) with the claim-pack. If you claim Pension Credit, you will be asked if you also want to claim either Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit and will be sent the appropriate form if you do (from October 2008 you will not need to fill in an additional form).If you do not claim one of the above benefits, you can get forms for Housing Benefit from your Local Authority.
In Northern Ireland claims are dealt with by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
