If you rent a home in the UK and suddenly find yourself in a difficult situation, struggling to pay your rent and afford basic necessities, you can apply for Housing Benefit, which can help ease some of the financial burden.
What is Housing Benefit?
Housing Benefit is financial support for people on low incomes to help pay all or part of their rent and council tax. You can get it if you live in a council house, social housing or a property rented from a private landlord.
When can you apply for Housing Benefit?
You can claim Housing Benefit whether you are unemployed or employed but need help paying your rent. However, there are some conditions you have to meet:
- Your total family income does not exceed £16,000;
- You are not repaying a mortgage taken out to buy your own home;
- You are not living with a close relative;
- You are not claiming Universal Credit;
- You are not living with a partner who is already receiving Housing Benefit;
- You are not a full-time student unless you have children or a disability certificate;
- You are not a foreign national seeking work in the EEA;
- You are not an asylum seeker in the UK, nor is your stay sponsored by the UK;
- You are not a foreign national subject to immigration control, and you do not have a certificate prohibiting you from receiving benefits.
Couples will also be affected by a change introduced in mid-2019. You can claim Housing Benefit if one of you has reached pension age, or one of you has reached pension age and started claiming Housing Benefit or Pension Credit for couples before 15 May 2019.
How can you receive Housing Benefit?
To apply, you must first complete the 'HCTB’ form and send it to your local council office. The application form requires you to provide information such as
- your current rent amount;
- any charges included in your rent;
- Any additional costs required to maintain your property (e.g. insurance);
- Details of your landlord or letting agent.
In addition to the form, you will need to provide evidence that you are in difficult financial circumstances:
- proof of income;
- payslips – two if you are paid monthly or five if you are paid weekly;
- A copy of your tenancy agreement;
- Proof of identity (e.g. passport, driving licence);
- National Insurance Number (NIN);
- bank statements or savings account statements from the last two months;
- documents showing income from other sources (e.g., shares, bonds);
- Recent decisions regarding other benefits you receive.
The benefit will be paid to the person who made the claim or directly to the landlord. Remember that the whole process is confidential and the landlord does not need to know about the benefit granted.
If you feel that claiming Housing Benefit is difficult, remember that you don’t have to do it alone. With the help of an accountant, you can make the whole process stress-free.
