Housing

Housing Benefit, Local Housing Allowance: Help if you rent two homes

This page contains the following information about Help if you rent two homes:

Introduction
Fear of violence
Students/trainees
Large families
Owing rent on your previous property
Help prior to moving in

Introduction

Normally Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance are only paid for one rent liability at a time. If you find yourself liable for two rents at once you may be entitled to help on both for a limited time.

Fear of violence

If you have left your normal property through fear of violence at that property or by a former member of your family then you may be entitled to help towards rental costs on both properties for a maximum of 52 weeks.

You must be intending to return to the original property and we must consider your fear to be 'reasonable' (which means we'll need to see some evidence. You must have a rental liability on both properties and the original property must not be re-let by your Landlord. We may write to you for confirmation.

Students/trainees

Where one partner of a couple is a student who is eligible to claim, it may be unavoidable that each partner occupy two separate properties. If we consider it reasonable to give financial help on both then this can be paid - there is no time limit.

Large families

If your Housing Association has placed you in two properties because your family is very large then you may be entitled to financial help on both properties.

Owing rent on your previous property

If you have moved to a new property and are still liable for rent on your old property you may be able to get financial help on both for a maximum of four weeks. You must satisfy us that the overlap was unavoidable.

Help prior to moving in

If you do not move into your new property when the tenancy actually starts you may be entitled to financial help for the period before you moved in if the following apply:

You submitted your claim form before you moved in
You now live in your new property
The delay was reasonable and the property was being adapted for disabled use (you may also be able to get benefit on two homes in this case)
The delay was due to you awaiting a social fund payment to help with your move and you have a child of 5 or under or you satisfy the conditions for an age related or disability related premium
You became liable for the rent whilst an in-patient or in residential accommodation

This page last updated: 27/03/2008