Can I claim housing benefit?
You can claim housing benefit (HB) if you have to pay rent
in order to live in your home. HB is based on you and your
partner's income, savings and circumstances and the amount of rent
you have to pay. You cannot get housing benefit if:
- You or your partner has joint savings and investments of
more than £16,000, unless you are in receipt of guaranteed pension
credit
- You pay rent to a close relative who lives in the same
home as you
- You own the place where you live
Can I claim housing benefit if I
work?
Yes, you can claim housing benefit if you work and receive
a low income. You will need to provide evidence of your earnings to
your local authority:
- Your last five payslips, if you are paid
weekly
- Your last two payslips, if you are paid
monthly
- If you have only recently started work and not yet been
paid, ask your employer to provide an estimate of your gross
earnings, tax and National Insurance deductions. The local
authority will use this information to calculate your housing
benefit until you receive actual details of your
earnings
Can I claim housing benefit if I
am self-employed?
Yes, you can claim housing benefit if you are
self-employed and receive a low income from your business. You will
need to provide your most recent accounts with your claim form to
your local authority. They will send you a self-employed
information form to complete.
What do I need to provide as
evidence of rent?
You need to provide evidence of rent, which confirms the
following information:
- Your name and address
- Your landlord's and agent's name and business
address
- The date your tenancy started
- The amount of rent you are charged
- What is included in your rent, for example, fuel, water,
meals and other services
- How often your rent is due
You may need to provide more than one type of evidence of
rent, for example, if your tenancy agreement does not contain the
above information, the local authority will need a letter from
Springboard to confirm the details. Speak to your housing or
project manager about this.
Does the amount of capital/savings I
have affect my housing benefit claim?
It will depend on the amount of capital/savings you and
your partner has as to whether it will affect your benefit
entitlement.
- If you and your partner have joint capital of more than
£16,000 you will not normally be able to get housing
benefit
- If you or your partner are aged 60 or over you can have
up to £6,000 capital before it affects your benefit entitlement, an
income of £1 for every £500 between £6,000 and £16,000 is taken
into account when your entitlement is worked out
- If you or your partner is aged 60 or over and receiving
Guarantee Pension Credit, then the income from your
savings is ignored.
- If you and your partner are aged less than 60 you can
have up to £6,000 capital before it affects your benefit
entitlement, an income of £1 for every £250 between £6,000 and
£16,000 is taken into account when your entitlement is worked
out
- Capital includes cash, current accounts, other
bank/building society/post office accounts, unit trusts, ISAs,
TESSAs, National Savings Certificates, shares, premium bonds and
property (other than the home you live in) or land you
own
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