Housing Benefit is now only available to the following groups (with some exceptions)
- Customer over Pension Credit age
- Customer living in supported accommodation
If this doesn’t apply, you can apply for universal credit for help with housing costs
If the above applies you could get Housing Benefit to help you pay your rent if you’re on a low income. Housing benefit can pay for part or all of your rent. How much you get depends on your income and circumstances. You can apply for housing benefit whether you’re unemployed or working.
- Rent your house through a private landlord or housing association
- Rent a council house
- Pay site rent for a mobile home or live in a caravan and pay rent
- Are a lodger or a boarder
- Housing Benefit is based on the money you (and your partner) have coming in, your savings, the number and ages of people in your household and how much rent you pay.
- Deductions are made from your income for income tax, National Insurance and half of any pension you pay into.
- If you pay for childcare (from a registered childcare provider), this can also be disregarded up to a maximum amount, depending on the number of children being cared for. Some state benefits are disregarded in full.
- If you have more than £16,000 in savings you will not qualify for benefit unless you are over 60 and you receive Guarantee Pension Credit. The property you live in does not count as savings.
- Students do not usually qualify for housing benefit but there are exceptions. Contact the Benefits Service for more information.
- If you rent your home from the Council or from another social housing landlord (housing association) we will only base your benefit on the number of bedrooms your household needs. If you have one bedroom more than you need, the rent that we base your benefit on will be reduced by 14%. If you have two or more bedrooms more than you need, the rent we base your benefit on will be reduced by 25%.
To work out housing benefit we use the Local Housing allowance. These figures are set by the Valuation office and you can find the amount that will apply to you on the Local Housing Allowance pages on gov.uk website.
When you use our online claim form we will provide you with a list of evidence we need when you have completed the claim.
If you do not have a printer please have a pen and paper ready to note down the documents we need and the reference number and password set up. If you are unsure about an answer to a specific question please view our online claim help page.
You can send us the evidence attached to an email to benefits@wealden.gov.uk or you can send them to Benefits Service, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX. If you post the evidence we will need to see original documents but we will send these back to you the day we receive them.
Firstly, if you think we have worked out your benefit incorrectly or you disagree with the figures we have used, you can ask us to look at your claim again. When we tell you how much benefit you are awarded, we will give you more information about how to do this.
If you still disagree, you can appeal against our decision and this will be heard by an independent tribunal called The Tribunal Service .
You can also ask for your benefit to be backdated if you disagree with the date we have made the award from. There are strict guidelines for councils about this and you will need to show that you have good cause as to why you did not apply earlier.
If, after you have been awarded benefit, you are finding it difficult to meet your rent you can apply for a Discretionary housing payment. You will have to provide details of your income and all of your outgoings together with any information that you think would be relevant, for example details about any health problems you have. View further information about Discretionary housing payments.
- You start or stop working
- your working hours change
- your child leaves education
- your state benefits change
- your private/occupational pension changes
- some moves in with you
- someone move out
- your rent changes
- you move