Apply for Housing Benefit

You may be able to get Housing Benefit to pay all or part of your rent if you are on a low income and need financial help.

Eligibility

To assess whether you are eligible and to decide how much benefit you are entitled too we will consider:

your personal and financial circumstances
money you and your partner have coming in – earnings, some benefits, tax credits and occupational pensions.
your savings and any savings your partner has
your circumstances (age, size of family, disability, whether anyone living with you should help with the rent)
the particulars of your home and the rent you pay
the rent reasonable for your particular home if you rent privately
your home a reasonable size for you and your family
the amount of rent reasonable for the area where you live
the housing benefit will not usually be paid if:
any savings of over £16,000, unless you are aged 60 or over and getting the ‘guarantee credit’ of Pension Credit.
if you live with a close relative in their home
if you are a full-time student (unless you are disabled or have children)
if your an asylum seeker or are sponsored to be in the UK
if you do not meet the right to reside or the habitual residence test.

Housing Benefit will not usually be paid if:

you have savings of over £16,000, unless you are aged 60 or over and getting the ‘guarantee credit’ of Pension Credit.
you live with a close relative in their home
you are a full-time student (unless you are disabled or have children)
you are an asylum seeker or are sponsored to be in the UK
you do not meet the right to reside or the habitual residence test.

Housing Benefit will not affect any other benefits you get.

If you are not happy with the outcome of your benefit application you can ask us to review or revise our decision.