Am I eligible?

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you're on a low income. Claiming Housing Benefit won't affect any other benefits you get.

Eligibility

If you are already receiving Universal Credit with Housing Costs you won’t normally be eligible for Housing Benefit.

You may claim Housing Benefit if you pay rent and your income, savings and investments are below a certain level.

This includes tenants living in:

• Privately rented accommodation
• Housing Association accommodation
• Hostels.

To work out your Housing Benefit, we'll look at:

• Money you and your partner or civil partner have coming in, including earnings, some benefits and tax credits and things like occupational pensions.
• Your savings/capital, and your partner's or civil partner's savings/capital.
• Your circumstances; for example your age, the size of your family and their ages, if you or any of your family are disabled, and if anyone who lives with you could help with the rent.

You can't usually get Housing Benefit if:

• If you are already receiving Universal Credit with Housing Costs
• You have savings/capital of over £16,000, unless you are getting Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• You live in the home of a close relative
• You're a full-time student, unless you are disabled or have children
• You're an asylum seeker or are sponsored to be in the UK.

Other restrictions:

• If you live with a partner only one of you can claim Housing Benefit
• If you are single, and aged under 35 then you can only get Housing Benefit for bedsit accommodation or one room in shared accommodation.