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Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support FAQs

Basic questions

Claims, applications and change of circumstances

If your question is not answered below, please contact us.

Please also see our Local Housing Allowance FAQ page which answers questions specifically about LHA.

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What is Housing Benefit?

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent. Housing Benefit cannot help you pay your mortgage. If you need help with your mortgage you should contact the Department for Work and Pensions (see external links section below).

What is the Council Tax Reduction Scheme? (previously Council Tax Benefit)

Council Tax Support can help you pay your Council Tax. From 1 April 2013 this support is provided in the form of a Council Tax Reduction.

  • Main Council Tax Reduction – for people with a low income
  • Alternative Maximum Council Tax Reduction (commonly known as Second Adult Rebate) – If your income or savings are too high for main Council Tax Reduction, you may be able to get Second Adult Rebate. You can get up to 25 percent off your Council Tax Bill if you are the only person responsible for paying Council Tax but share your home with one or more adults who:
    • don't pay rent
    • aren't your husband, wife or partner
    • have a combined weekly income of less than £239.

When you apply for a Council Tax Reduction we will automatically work out which type gives you the most money.

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Who can claim or apply?

Anyone who has to pay rent can claim Housing Benefit. This includes you if you are:

  • a council tenant
  • a private tenant
  • a housing association tenant
  • a lodger or boarder
  • living in a hostel, hotel or bed and breakfast
  • living in a mobile home or riverboat
  • renting under a shared ownership scheme.

Anyone who is liable to pay Council Tax can apply for a Council Tax Reduction. This includes you if you are:

  • a home owner
  • renting your home
  • anyone else with a Council Tax bill in their name.

If you are having problems paying your rent or Council Tax you should apply for benefit straight away.
If you (or you and your partner together) have more than £16,000 in savings you will not be entitled to Housing Benefit or Main Council Tax Reduction, unless you also receive Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.

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How to claim or apply

Firstly you need to complete the Help with your Rent and Council Tax form. The form is the same even if you are only claiming Council Tax Support.

  • You can download a form from our Downloadable Forms page.
  • Or you can call us on 020 8489 1000 and we will send you a form.
  • Or you can write to the Benefits Service to obtain a form:
    Benefits Service
    PO Box 10505
    Wood Green
    N22 7WJ

We can also an application without you having to hand-write your details. We call this 'e-Benefits'. You can contact us by calling into one of our Customer Service Centres where a Customer Services Officer can take you through the application process by asking you a series of questions. This interview will be done in person and may take anything from 15 to 45 minutes to complete. If you can provide the information and evidence we need of your circumstances at the same time or as soon as possible afterwards, your claim can be processed more quickly.

If you require help filling in the paper form, simply visit one of our Customer Service Centres; you can find details of the Customer Service Centres on the How to Contact Us page. If you need help filling in the form, we may ask you to make an e-Benefits claim (as explained above)

On the form you must give information about everyone who lives with you. You will also need to tell us about:

  • your income
  • your savings
  • your rent
  • the income of other people who live with you.

You will also need to provide proof of all these things.

You can claim Housing Benefit or apply for Council Tax Support on the same form. Once you have filled in the form go to our How to Contact Us page to see where to send it or hand it in.

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How your Housing Benefit is paid

Council Tenants

If you rent your home from the council your Housing Benefit will be credited direct to your rent account. You will not be issued with cheques.

The council will tell you how much is left for you to pay.

Private tenants

Most private tenants will have their Housing benefit worked out using Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

If your Housing Benefit claim is assessed using LHA, we will normally pay benefit directly to you. We prefer to pay Benefit directly to your bank account as this is the safest and easiest way to do it. If you do not have a bank account, we will pay you by cheque.

In some circumstances we will pay your Landlord. You will have to give us good reason as to why we should pay your landlord. We will pay your Landlord if:

  • we think you will have difficulty managing your financial affairs
  • we don't think you will pay your rent
  • you are eight weeks or more behind with your rent.

We will make a decision on each case individually. If we decide to pay your Landlord, we will write to them for their bank details.

For a more detailed explanation of LHA, including payments, please visit the Local Housing Allowance page on this site.

All other private tenants

If you:

  • rent from a housing association
  • live in a houseboat, caravan or mobile home
  • moved into your property before 15 January 1989
  • live in supported housing or
  • pay a large part of your rent towards 'board and attendance'.

We can pay benefit to:

  • you
  • your landlord or
  • someone who has been nominated to look after your affairs.

We prefer to pay benefit directly into a bank account as this is the safest and easiest way to receive it. It also avoids the risk of cheques being lost, stolen or delayed in the post.

If you do not have a suitable bank account, we will pay you by cheque.

If you would like independent advice on setting up a bank account, call the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on 0845 606 1234.

If you want to change the way that we pay your benefit, please write to us, visit one of our Customer Service Centres or phone our Customer Service Call Centre on 020 8489 1000.

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How your Council Tax Reduction is paid

A Council Tax Reduction is credited directly to your Council Tax account for the whole financial year. When the Reduction has been credited, you will be sent a new bill. If your Reduction changes during the year, we will send you a revised bill.

How much can I receive?

If you are in doubt about whether you can get support with your rent or Council Tax you should apply anyway. We will tell you as soon as we can if you are entitled.

Housing Benefit

If you want an estimate of how much Housing Benefit you can get, please use the GOV.UK Benefits Adviser (external link).

For people claiming Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (income related), Jobseeker’s Allowance (income based) or Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)

If you receive:

  • Income Support
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
  • Jobseeker's Allowance (income based) or
  • Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)

you can normally receive 'maximum' Housing Benefit

This means that your Housing Benefit will be your 'eligible rent' minus any non dependant deductions.

For everyone else

If you do not receive any of these benefits you can still claim Housing Benefit.

We will calculate your entitlement by comparing the income and savings of you and your family against the minimum levels that the government expects you to live on.

We allow extra amounts for children, couples, lone parents, pensioners, carers and the disabled.

When we have done this we will have two figures:

  • an 'applicable amount’ – this is the minimum weekly amount that the government says you and your family need to live on
  • your income – this is calculated by taking the actual income of you and your family but ignoring certain amounts (for example, we do not count Disability Living Allowance or a certain part of your earnings). We work this out to a weekly figure.

We then look at these two figures.

If your income is below your 'applicable amount', you will receive maximum Housing Benefit.

If your income is above your applicable amount, we call this 'excess inc and your Housing Benefit will be your 'eligible rent' minus 65 percent of your 'excess income' and any non dependant deductions.

Council Tax Support

The rules used to work out your Council Tax Reduction are not the same as those used for Housing Benefit purposes. People who qualify for maximum Housing Benefit may not qualify for a maximum Council Tax Reduction.

If you are a pensioner your Council Tax Reduction is based on the total amount of Council Tax you are liable for, minus 20 percent of your excess income and any non-dependant deductions.

If you are not a pensioner your Council Tax Reduction is based on 80.2 percent of the amount of Council Tax you have to pay, minus 20 percent of your excess income and any non-dependant deductions.

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What does 'eligible rent' mean?

Housing benefit can only be paid up to your 'eligible rent'.

If you rent your home from the Council or a Housing Association, 'eligible rent' normally means your actual rent minus any ineligible service charges.

If you are a private tenant and you:

  • rent from a housing association
  • live in a houseboat, caravan or mobile home
  • moved into your property before 15 January 1989
  • live in supported housing or
  • pay a large part of your rent towards 'board and attendance.

your eligible rent will normally be decided by The Valuation Office Agency (VOA). Your ‘eligible rent’ can not include ineligible service charges.

In all other cases, your ‘eligible rent’ will normally be set by The Valuation Office Agency in the form of Local Housing Allowance (LHA). Your ‘eligible rent’ will be the amount of LHA that The Valuation Office Agency has decided is right for the property you need.

For more detailed information on Local Housing Allowance (LHA), including the rates of LHA, visit our Local Housing Allowance page on this site.

For more details about the meaning of "ineligible service charges" and "The Valuation Office Agency" please access our Housing/Council Tax Benefits Frequently Asked Questions page.

If you share the total rent payable for your home with other people, your ‘eligible rent’ will be based on the share that you and your family pay.

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I’ve made my claim or application but I haven’t heard anything yet – what should I do?

Please wait 14 days before contacting us to find out about your claim or application. See the How to Contact Us page for details.

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What is a ‘non-dependant’ and how do they affect my claim or application?

A non-dependant is a person who lives in your home on a non-commercial basis. Non-dependants are normally adult children or relatives but they can also be friends or anyone else who lives with you.

We normally reduce your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for every non-dependant in your home. We call this a ‘non-dependant deduction’.

In some cases we will not make any non-dependant deduction. For example, we will not make a deduction if you or your partner:

  • are registered blind, or
  • get Disability Living Allowance (care component) or Attendance allowance.

We will also make no deduction if the non-dependant:

  • is under 18 years old
  • gets a Youth Training Allowance
  • has been in an NHS hospital for more than 52 weeks
  • is in prison
  • normally lives elsewhere
  • is a full-time student
  • gets Pension Credit
  • gets Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance (income based) and is aged under 25.
  • is severely mentally impaired (Council Tax only)

Otherwise your benefit or reduction will be reduced for each non-dependant as follows:

  • Housing Benefit – reduced by anything from £13.60 to £87.75 a week.
  • Main Council Tax Reduction – reduced by anything from £3.65 to £10.95 a week.

The actual amount of the deduction depends on the income and circumstances of the non-dependant.

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My circumstances have changed since I last told you – what do I have to do?

If you or your partner are getting Pension Credit please go to the section for people receiving Pension Credit.

You must tell us right away if anything changes for you or anyone who lives with you as this could affect your benefit or reduction. If we find that we have paid you too much Housing Benefit you will have to pay us back. If we have paid you too much Council Tax Reduction we will adjust your Council Tax account and you will receive a new bill.

You must report any changes to us in writing or by visiting one of our offices. You can find the addresses on our How to Contact Us page. You can also download a change of circumstances reporting form from our Downloadable Forms page.

Here are some of the things you must tell us about:

  • If you stop or start getting Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance or any other benefit.
  • If your rent goes up or down (private tenants only)
  • If you or your partner’s wages go up or down
  • If the other money that you and your family have coming in goes up or down
  • If your savings or your family’s savings change
  • If anyone who lives with you has a change in their situation, such as starting work.
  • If anyone who lives with you moves out.
  • If anyone moves in to live with you.
  • If you change your address.
  • If you go away for 13 weeks or more
  • If you are refused asylum by the Home Office.

These are only some of the changes that you must tell us about. If you are not sure whether a change needs reporting you should tell us anyway.

Housing Benefit law says that changes of circumstances must be notified within one month of them happening.

For Council Tax changes of circumstances must be notified within 21 days of them happening.

In both cases, if you tell us about any changes late, you may lose out on increases in your benefit or reduction. If you give us false information or do not tell us of changes on time you may be prosecuted.

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My circumstances have changed since I last told you – what do I have to do? (For people receiving Pension Credit)

If you are getting the 'Guarantee Credit' or the 'Guarantee Credit' plus the 'Savings Credit', you must tell us about the following:

  • changes to your tenancy (for example, if your rent changes or you move out)
  • if anyone who lives with you moves out or their situation changes, such as starting work
  • if someone moves into your household
  • if you are going away for 13 weeks or more.

If you are getting the 'Savings Credit' only you must tell us about the following:

  • changes to your tenancy (for example, if your rent changes or you move out)
  • if anyone who lives with you moves out or their situation changes, such as starting work
  • if someone moves into your household
  • if you are going away for 13 weeks or more
  • changes to any child care charges you incur
  • if you have savings and investments that go over £16,000
  • changes to the income or capital of your partner (if they were not included in the Pension Credit claim).

You do not need to tell us about any other changes.

You must report any changes to us in writing or by visiting one of our offices. You can find the addresses on our How to Contact Us page. You can also download a change of circumstances reporting form from our Downloadable Forms page.

Housing Benefit law says that changes of circumstances must be notified within one month of them happening.

For Council Tax changes of circumstances must be notified within 21 days of them happening.

In both cases, if you tell us about any changes late, you may lose out on increases in your benefit or reduction. If you give us false information or do not tell us of changes on time you may be prosecuted.

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What can I do if I disagree with a decision about my claim?

Housing Benefit

If you are not happy with a decision we make about your claim you have three choices:

  • you can ask us to change the decision
  • you can ask us to explain the decision in writing.

You can appeal against the decision. Appeals are heard by an independent appeal tribunal called 'The Tribunals Service' - see external links section at the bottom of the page to visit their website.

If you want to do any of these things you must do so in writing to us. You must tell us which decision you disagree with (or want explained) and why.

You can download an appeal form from our Downloadable Forms section. You will need to print the form, complete it and send or bring it back to us. You can find the addresses in our How to Contact Us section.

If you ask us to change a decision, but we choose not to do so, you will still be able to appeal against it. You should make your appeal within one month of our refusal to change it.

Whenever you want to appeal, you should do so within one month of the decision being made. In special circumstances this time limit can be extended but do not delay making your appeal or it may not be heard.

If you ask us to explain a decision we have made, we will extend the one month time limit for appealing by the time it takes us to respond to your request.

Council Tax Support

If you are not happy with a decision we make about your application:

  • you can ask us to change the decision
  • you can ask us to explain the decision in writing.

If you want to do any of these things you must do so in writing to us. You must tell us which decision you disagree with (or want explained) and why. If you ask us to change a decision, but we choose not to do so, you will still be able to appeal against it. You should make your appeal directly to the Valuation Tribunal for England within two months of our refusal to change it. See external links section at the bottom of the page to visit their website.

You can also appeal directly to the Valuation Tribunal if we do not reply to your request to change or explain our decision within two months of you contacting us about it.

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What happens to my benefit or reduction if I go away?

If you go away for less than 13 weeks your benefit or reduction will not be affected so long as:

  • you intend to return to your home, and
  • you have not let or sub-let your home while you are away, and
  • your period of absence will be unlikely to exceed 13 weeks.

If you are going away for 13 weeks or more you must tell us. Your benefit or reduction will normally end from when you go away. You will then have to re-claim benefit or re-apply for support when you return.

In certain circumstances you can get benefit or support for longer than this whilst absent from home. For example, if you are:

  • detained in custody on remand pending trial
  • in a bail hostel or bailed but required to live at an address other than your normal home
  • in hospital as a patient
  • absent because you are in fear of violence in your home or from a former family member.

then we will still be able to pay benefit or support for up to 52 weeks so long as:

  • you intend to return to your home, and
  • you have not let or sub-let your home while you are away, and
  • your period of absence will be unlikely to exceed 52 weeks.
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Page Last Updated: 8 April 2013

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