Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit helps you pay your rent if you're on a low income. Claiming Housing Benefit won't affect any other benefits you get.

You may claim Housing Benefit if you pay rent and your income, savings and investments are below a certain level.

How much you are entitled to depends on your personal circumstances, you can use benefit calculators for an idea of what you might be entitled to.

We can no longer accept new claims for Housing Benefit as you will need to claim Universal Credit.

Unless:

• you or your partner are of state pension credit qualifying age, or
• you live in specified accommodation, or
• you live in temporary accommodation

Temporary and specified accommodation

Temporary accommodation

We use the term temporary accommodation to mean housing arranged by a council, because they have decided you are homeless.

Specified accommodation

Specified accommodation means a property in which the landlord is one of the below:

• a housing association
• a registered charity
• a not-for-profit voluntary organisation
• an English non-metropolitan county council
• a local authority hostel or
• a domestic violence refuge

Under this category, you must also be receiving ‘more than minimal’ care, support or supervision, either directly from the landlord or from someone on their behalf.