Apply for Council Tax Support or Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit is financial help towards paying your rent. Most new benefit claimants of working age will have to claim their Housing Benefit through Universal Credit and claim Council Tax Support through us.

Over the coming years existing working age claimants will be switched to Universal Credit.

Exceptions to claiming Universal Credit

You can claim Housing Benefit from the council if you are:

• a working age person living in Specified or Temporary Accommodation (you would still claim Universal Credit but you get Housing Benefit from the council instead of Universal Credit housing cost).
• a single pensioner, or two pensioners in a couple

If you're a mixed-age couple (one working age and one pensioner), you will need to claim Universal Credit.

Other rules

If you fall under an exemption above, you can potentially claim if you are:

• a council tenant
• paying rent to a private landlord
• a housing Association tenant
• living in a hostel
• paying for board and lodgings
• unemployed or unable to work
• working and earning a low wage

But you can't claim if you:

• have savings over £16,000 (except those in receipt of Guaranteed Credit)
• are living with or paying board to a close relative
• are from outside the UK and do not have recourse to public funds
• are impacted by a benefits cap (you may find you can't claim or your benefits award is reduced)
• own your own home as we are unable to assist with your mortgage payments (the Department for Work and Pensions may be able to help)

There are also special rules for students and people living in residential or nursing homes.

Last updated 24 August 2022