Housing benefit

If you would like to apply for housing benefit, please complete our online application form.

If you rent your home and are on a low income, you may be able to claim Housing benefit to help pay your rent.

The amount you will get depends on various things such as:

It also depends on how much of your rent qualifies. For example, you can’t get help with any part of your rent that covers things like service charges, heating and lighting, and internet.

If you rent from a private landlord (not the council or a housing association), the amount of rent you can get help with is set by the Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

You cannot usually get Housing benefit if:

  • You (or your partner) has savings or capital of £16,000 or more
  • You pay rent to a close relative who lives in the same home as you
  • You own the place where you live
  • You are a student living alone.

If you receive Housing benefit, you must tell as straight away if your situation changes. If you don’t, you may lose out on benefit or be paid too much and have to pay it back.

Benefit calculator

Our benefit calculator will help you find out if you can claim Housing benefit. The calculator is free to use and the details you provide are anonymous.

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For more information, please see our privacy policy.