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  3. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support
  4. Housing Benefit
  5. Can you get Housing Benefit?
  6. Properties owned by social landlords
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Properties owned by social landlords

How we work out your benefit if you rent from a social landlord.

The current processing time for new applications and changes to benefit claims is an average of 8 weeks.

If you contact us with a general enquiry online we will reply to you within two working days.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you meet one of the following criteria: 

  • You are single and of state pension age. Or if you are part of a couple and are both of state pension age.
    You can find your Pension Credit qualifying age using Check your State Pension age  Opens in a new window
  • Qualify for the severe disability premium  Opens in a new window and receiving Income Support, Employment Support Allowance, Jobseekers Allowance or Housing Benefit or one of these benefits has ended in the last month
  • Live in supported accommodation
  • Have been placed in temporary accommodation by the Local Authority

If not you need to claim Universal Credit  Opens in a new window  for help with paying your rent.

How much you get will be based on an ‘eligible’ rent. This means the reasonable rent for a suitable property in your area.

The number of bedrooms that are counted for social housing tenants

We may restrict the amount you get if you are working age and have 'spare' bedrooms.

The number of bedrooms you can claim for is based on the number of people living in your home not the number of bedrooms you have.

A claim is reduced by:

  • 14% if you have one 'spare' bedroom
  • 25% if you have two or more 'spare' bedrooms

One bedroom is allowed for:

  • Every adult couple
  • Any additional adult aged 16 or over
  • Any two children regardless of sex aged under age 10
  • Any two children of the same sex aged under 16
  • Any other child
  • A carer who normally lives elsewhere (we may write to you about this)

How is it paid?

You can choose to have the benefit paid to yourself or your landlord. It will be paid straight into a bank or building society account.

 

Contact Benefits

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