Welfare Rights - Financial Advice
You can claim benefit if you are in receipt of Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, any other state benefit, or if you are working full or part time, self-employed, or retired.
However, the amount of housing and/or council tax benefit you are awarded will depend on many factors, for example:
- How much rent you have to pay (if you are a private tenant, housing benefit will be calculated subject to a rent officer's valuation); or if your date of claim is after 7 April 2008 then it will be calculated subject to the Local Housing Allowance rate)
- Your council tax liability
- How much income or capital and savings you or your partner have
- How many children you have
- Whether you have a partner
- If anyone in your household is disabled
- If you are under 25 and rent from a private landlord
You can use the Benefit Calculator to find out how much housing benefit or council tax benefit you may be entitled to.
Non-dependants
A deduction is normally made from your benefit for anyone over 18 in your home who you don't receive child benefit for. This is called a non-dependant deduction and the amount deducted depends on how much income the non-dependant has and whether they are working or not.
How is benefit paid?
If you are renting from a housing association we will make payments directly into your bank/building society account. Alternatively, we can make payments directly to your landlord if you ask us to.
If you are a private tenant and have claimed after 7 April 2008 we will normally only make payments directly into your bank/building society account. However, safeguards will be put in place to protect the vulnerable.
If a claimant and their representative feel they are vulnerable, benefit may be paid to the landlord but will need to be supported by evidence.
Benefit can still be paid to the landlord if a tenant falls into arrears of 8 weeks or more.
Your council tax benefit will be posted directly to your council tax account.
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