Apply for Housing Benefit

We are currently receiving a high number of applications, changes and contacts from customers.

This increased workload has delayed how quickly we can process your query/application. We are working as quickly as possible to process this outstanding work and apologise for any inconvenience the delay has caused.

Applying for Housing Benefit

You can only make a claim for Housing Benefit if one of the following applies to you -

you are single and of State Pension age, or a couple where both of you have reached State Pension age
you are a mixed age couple. This is where only one member of the couple has reached State Pension age, and you receive pension credits as a couple
you have been placed in temporary accommodation by the council
you live in accommodation where you receive care and support as a condition of your tenancy agreement

Find out when you will reach Pension age on Gov.UK website.

If one of the above applies, you must also be on a low income and have less than £16,000 in savings. Or you are receiving Pension Guaranteed Credit to make a new claim for Housing Benefit.

If you have non-dependents in your household, your Housing Benefit award may be reduced. A non-dependent is anyone 16 years or over who nobody receives child benefit for.

Apply for Housing Benefit (opens in a new window)

If none of the above apply, you will need to claim Universal Credits for help with your Housing costs.

If you are applying for or already receiving Universal Credit, you will need to make a separate claim for Council Tax Reduction only.

Supporting proofs

When applying for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, you will be asked to provide proofs to support your claim.

Landlords

There is further information for landlords to help with housing benefit claims.

Additional information to support your claim

With your permission we can share information with your landlord. This may help us to deal with your application more quickly.

Backdated payments

Payments of Housing Benefit normally start from the Monday after you make a claim.

Backdates are automatically considered if you are -

single, or a couple where both of you have reached pension age or
you are a mixed age couple. This is where only one member of the couple has reached State Pension age, and you receive pension credits as a couple

If the above does not apply, you will need to request a backdate.

Complete the form below choosing 'other changes' from the drop-down menu. This is if you did not request a backdate when you made your Housing Benefit claim, and believe your Housing Benefit should have started earlier. Ensure you provide the following -

the date you want your benefit to start from
give as much detail as possible stating the reasons why you are requesting a back date and why you did not claim earlier
provide us with any supporting evidence

Report a change of circumstances (opens in a new window)

Benefit Tools

If you would like to know how much benefit you may be able to receive or for help with budgeting, visit our benefit calculator and budgeting tools.

Have you registered for My Revenues and Benefits

Registering for My Revenues and Benefits gives you access to the following services -

access details of your housing benefit
check your payment history
find out when your payments are due
tell us about any changes, you may be contacted to confirm this in writing
landlords can check their tenant’s payment history or any upcoming payments

If you have registered and are unable to access your account, you will need to re-register for access. If you have already registered you can access these services by using the button below -