Housing Benefit

How to apply for Housing Benefit (if you're still eligible)

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you're unemployed, on a low income, or claiming benefits.

For most working age people Housing Benefit has been replaced by Universal Credit. You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if either of the following apply:

  • You've reached state pension age.
  • You're in supported, sheltered, or temporary housing.

Housing Benefit can pay for part or all of your rent. The amount you get depends on your income and circumstances.

You can tap here for more information on Housing Benefit on the gov.uk website (link opens in a new tab).

If you're eligible, you need to apply for Housing Benefit online. For full details and eligibility criteria, please contact your local council who may be able to assist you if you're having problems completing your application. You can tap here for information on how to apply for Housing Benefit from your local council (link opens in a new tab).

Please call our Money Advice Team on 01204 328000 if you need further support with Housing Benefit.

If your Universal Credit or Housing Benefit payments aren't enough to cover your rent (Discretionary Housing Payment)

Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) can help if your Universal Credit or Housing Benefit payments aren't enough to cover your rent.

They are short-term payments to help people with their rent if they are experiencing financial hardship. DHPs can be awarded as a one-off payment or as a series of payments.

DHPs are not Housing Benefit, however, to receive a DHP you must be receiving some Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (which includes an amount for housing costs).

DHPs are administered by your local council (you can tap here to find your local council on the gov.uk website, link opens in a new tab). Each council decides how their application process will work.

If you decide to apply, it's important that you:

  • Include all your income and expenditure
  • Provide details on your circumstances. You should include information such as whether you've registered to move, if you've accessed support to deal with any debt issues, and so on.
  • Include as much detail as possible on why you can't meet your rent payments.

To find out more and learn how to make a claim for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), please tap here to visit the gov.uk website (link opens in a new tab).

What do I do if my Housing Benefit claim is refused?

If your Housing Benefit claim is refused and you feel that the decision is wrong, you can contact your local council and:

  • Ask them to explain it.
  • Ask them to look at the decision again. This is called a reconsider.
  • Appeal to an independent tribunal to look at the decision.

You need to contact your local council within one month of the date on the decision letter. You can tap here to find your local council on the gov.uk website (link opens in a new tab).

You can call our Money Advice Team on 01204 328000 if you need further support with Housing Benefit. We can look at your application and advise whether you have grounds to appeal against this. If you do have grounds then we can assist you.

You can tap here to learn more about our Money Advice Team and ways they can help.

Non-dependants living in your home may affect your benefit entitlement (non-dependant deductions)

What are non-dependants?

A non-dependant is a person who lives with you but is not liable for paying rent under a formal arrangement. If you share your home with someone who is not your partner or a dependent child, this may affect your benefit entitlement. 

A non-dependant is a person who:

  • resides with you; and
  • is over 18; and
  • is not your partner or dependent child; and
  • is not liable for paying the rent (or Council Tax for Council Tax support/Reduction)

Non-dependants are often people like grown-up sons and daughters or elderly relatives.

How could non-dependant deductions affect the benefits I receive?

If you live with a non-dependant, your Housing Benefit, Universal Credit housing payments, and Council Tax Reduction could be reduced through rules on non-dependant deductions. In Universal Credit, these are called housing cost contributions.

The amount of the non-dependant deduction or housing costs contribution depends on the benefit being claimed.

Universal Credit

Under Universal Credit rules there is a flat rate contribution (deduction) each month, regardless of the non-dependant's income.

There will be no contribution expected of non-dependants who are under 21.

There will be no contribution expected of non-dependants who are 21 or over and are also:

  • Receiving Pension Credit.
  • Receiving the care component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate.
  • Receiving the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment.
  • Receiving Attendance Allowance.
  • Receiving Carer's Allowance.
  • The primary carer for a child aged four or under.