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  4. Can you get Housing Benefit?
  5. 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.

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 credit qualifying age, or
  • Part of a couple and are both of state pension credit qualifying age, or
  • Part of a couple and been continuously receiving Pension Credit since at least 14/05/19. Find your State Pension Credit qualifying age Opens in a new window.
  • 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.

 

This page was last updated on 06/10/2025 14:21:45

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