Making a housing benefit claim

Housing benefit is paid to those who rent a property from a landlord or have a council tenancy.

Housing benefit is a means tested benefit based on your income and savings, you can claim it if,

• you are on income support or job seekers allowance
• you are on a low income
• employed or self employed               

About this service

You cannot get housing benefit if:

• you and your partner have more than £16,000 in savings in total                  

A partner is someone you are married to, or someone you live with as if you are married to them.

What you must do

To claim housing benefit, you must complete an application form.

If you need help to complete the form we can provide a home visit , please contact this office to ask about this service. It is available to all residents making a claim for benefits.

Select this link to complete the application form online

What we must do

Once we assess your claim for housing benefit, we will notify you in writing of our decision.

Some frequently asked questions

How do I claim housing benefit?

If you claim income support or job seekers allowance the department of works and pensions (DWP). will give you a form for you to claim housing benefit. Fill in the form and send it back to the DWP straight away. They will send the form to us with proof of your income support/jobseeker allowance claim.

If you have not made a claim through the DWP, for income support or job seekers allowance, you can claim housing benefit if you are on a low income. You need to fill in the claim form marked 'housing benefit'.

if you require help to complete a new application we can provide a home visit, please ask about this service.

 You can get an application form by contacting the council or you can make an on line claim on the council website.  

If you are in receipt of pension credit you can ask for a claim form from the pensions service.