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Housing and Council Tax Benefit
You can claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit if you are a private tenant, housing association tenant or a sub-tenant or lodger.
The amount you receive will be based on your income and circumstances. If you are renting from a private landlord, Housing Benefit will only pay a certain amount which might not cover the full amount of rent being charged.
If you are renting from a Registered Social Landlord and you get Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based) or the Guarantee element of Pension Credit, you will get the full amount of the rent, minus any elements which aren't eligible.
If you do not get any of these benefits, the local District or Borough council will work out your Housing Benefit by comparing your weekly income with the applicable amount.
(The applicable amount is the amount of money the Government says individuals, their partner, and any dependant children need to live on. The local council housing office will work out how much your applicable amount is when you apply.)
You cannot get Housing Benefit if:
You or your partner have savings or capital of £16,000 or more (in most circumstances), you pay rent to a close relative who lives in the same home as you or you own the place where you live.
Council tax benefit
You can claim Council Tax Benefit if you are the person (or one of the people) who is responsible for paying the Council Tax for the property you live in and:
You are getting Income Support/Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based) or the Guarantee element of Pension Credit or you have a low income. This includes people who are in work or self-employed.
Local Borough or District council offices will be able to offer more advice to those seeking housing and council tax benefit. Most organisations use one application form for both benefits, as detailed below:
FarehamBorough Council
Hart District Council
Havant Borough Council; Call 02392 446382 / 383 or email benefits@havant.gov.uk
If you are unsure what benefits you should be receiving, you can use a website like this one to check your entitlement.
