Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit is a means tested benefit available to help with the payment of rent. Applications for benefit are dealt with by the Council in which you live and not by your landlord. If you are having difficulty in affording your rent, the Housing Benefit department may be able to help you.

If you receive Housing Benefit to help pay your rent you are responsible for ensuring we receive the payments. You are also responsible for chasing your claim, and advising your Landlord if there are delays.

We are aware that Housing Benefit is paid in arrears for most recent claimants (although if you have been receiving benefit for a number of years you may be getting this in advance). We take into account the fact that your benefit does not normally come in weekly. However, if you are claiming benefit there should not generally be more than 4 times your weekly housing benefit entitlement owing on your account and if there is, we will write to you about this arrear and expect payment.

When claims are renewed (usually yearly), amended or suspended, the Council will usually write to you. You must respond to this letter as soon as you receive it, completing any paperwork that is necessary or providing the information requested. Following this you will need to ensure you keep in contact with the council on at least a weekly basis, to ensure your claim is paid as soon as possible. At this time you also need to keep in regular contact with us, as arrears may be accumulating on your account.

Delays in housing benefit will not stop us writing to you or taking action about arrears. We keep in contact with Councils about the length of delays in processing cases and in most areas locally, this is not extensive, compared with some councils elsewhere. Excessive delays in payment are usually connected with delays in the provision of information and documentation, and we urge you to get all details to the Council as soon as you can.

There are rules to follow if you claim Housing Benefit:

  • Always submit your claim form the instant you think your are eligible. If you are entitled to payments they will only usually be backdated to the Monday after you submitted your form. For this reason ask for a receipt when you hand your form in. If you can’t deliver it by hand – send it recorded or guaranteed delivery (allowing for the fact it may take a couple of days to get there).
  • Provide all the documents requested when you send in your form and complete all sections. Trends show that those applications received where all evidence/documentation is received with the form, are processed 3 times more quickly than those where bits are missing.
  • Keep in contact on at least a weekly basis when you have sent in the form. This will ensure you are aware of the situation and can provide what is needed to speed up your claim.
  • If you are working but on a low income and do not expect to get all of your rent paid, make a contribution towards your rent, whilst the claim is being assessed. If you are not sure how much ask one of our staff. Try to pay as much as you can afford. If you make a contribution, arrears will not build up as quickly, making any debt more manageable. If you do end up over paying, you will get a refund.
  • If your claim changes when you are receiving housing benefit, make sure you understand how this affects the amount you should be paying. If in doubt, contact our staff.
  • If your claim is suspended and you do not believe it should have been you will need to contact the council urgently to sort it out. Payments will stop and unless you make up the difference, your account will go into arrears.
  • If your circumstances change, tell the council immediately. If you don’t and they find out (which is inevitable) any benefit you have received, to which you were not entitled, will have to be repaid. This could put you in serious debt and your home at risk. If you are entitled to more benefit, the sooner you tell the council, the sooner your claim will be amended.