Housing Benefit
What you'll get
You may get help with all or part of your rent. There바카라 사이트™s no set amount of Housing Benefit and what you get will depend on whether you rent privately or from a council.
Use a benefits calculator to work out what you could get or check what extra help is available.
Council and social housing rent
How much you get depends on:
- your 바카라 사이트˜eligible바카라 사이트™ rent
- if you have a spare room
- your household income - including benefits, pensions and savings (over £6,000)
- your circumstances, for example the age of people in the house or if someone has a disability
Eligible rent
Your eligible rent is the amount used to calculate your Housing Benefit claim. It바카라 사이트™s your actual rent plus any service charges you have to pay (such as for lift maintenance or a communal laundry) but not things like heating or water costs for your home.
Spare bedrooms
Your Housing Benefit could be reduced if you live in council or social housing and have a spare bedroom. The reduction is:
- 14% of the 바카라 사이트˜eligible rent바카라 사이트™ for 1 spare bedroom
- 25% of the 바카라 사이트˜eligible rent바카라 사이트™ for 2 or more spare bedrooms
Example
Your eligible rent is £100 per week, but you have 1 spare bedroom. That means your eligible rent is reduced by 14%, to £86 per week. Your Housing Benefit will be calculated using that figure.
Sharing bedrooms
The following are expected to share:
- an adult couple
- 2 children under 16 of the same sex
- 2 children under 10 (regardless of sex)
The following can have their own bedroom:
- a single adult (16 or over)
- a child that would normally share but shared bedrooms are already taken, for example you have 3 children and 2 already share
- a couple or children who cannot share because of a disability or medical condition
- an overnight carer for you, your partner, your child or another adult - this is only if the carer does not live with you but sometimes has to stay overnight
One spare bedroom is allowed for:
- an approved foster carer who is between placements but only for up to 52 weeks from the end of the last placement
- a newly approved foster carer for up to 52 weeks from the date of approval if no child is placed with them during that time
Rooms used by students and members of the armed or reserve forces will not be counted as 바카라 사이트˜spare바카라 사이트™ if they바카라 사이트™re away and intend to return home.
Private rent
If you rent privately, your eligible rent amount is either your or your actual rent, whichever is lower. The LHA rate is based on:
- where you live
- your household size -
How much you can get
How much you get depends on:
- the lower figure of your 바카라 사이트˜eligible바카라 사이트™ rent or LHA rate
- your household income including benefits, pensions and savings (over £6,000)
- your circumstances (for example your age or whether you have a disability)
Contact your local council if you바카라 사이트™re living in:
- a houseboat or a mooring
- a caravan site
- a room with any meals included in the rent (sometimes known as a boarding home)
- a hostel
- a Rent Act protected property
Exception
If you바카라 사이트™ve been getting Housing Benefit since before 7 April 2008, these limits only apply if you:
- change address
- have a break in your claim for Housing Benefit
How you바카라 사이트™re paid
The way you get paid Housing Benefit by your council depends on the type of tenant you are.
If you바카라 사이트™re a:
- council tenant, it바카라 사이트™s paid into your rent account (you will not receive the money)
- private or housing association tenant, it바카라 사이트™s paid into your bank or building society account (rarely by cheque)
The benefit cap
The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.
If you바카라 사이트™re affected, your Housing Benefit will go down to make sure that the total amount of benefit you get is not more than the cap level.
Appeal a Housing Benefit decision
Contact your local council to appeal a Housing Benefit decision.