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Housing Benefit
Can I claim Housing Benefit?
You cannot get Housing Benefit
if...
Housing Benefit may be reduced further
if...
How
will your benefit be paid?
If you live in a privately rented
property...
Pre-tenancy Determinations
Can I claim Housing Benefit?
You can claim Housing Benefit if you are a
private tenant, housing association tenant, a Crown tenant being
charged Mesne Profits or a sub-tenant or lodger.
The amount you receive will be based on your
income and circumstances.
If you get Income Support, Jobseekers
Allowance (Income Based) or Guarantee element of Pension Credit you
will get the full amount of your Eligible Rent as benefit after any non-dependant deductions
have been taken off.
If you do not get any of the above we will
work out your Housing Benefit by comparing the money you get each
week with your applicable amount. You can apply if you are in work or
self-employed.
Your applicable amount is the amount of money
the Government says you, your partner if you have one and any
dependant children need to live on. It is made up of a
personal allowance for you, you partner, allowances for dependant
children, and extra amounts (usually called Premiums) for
disability, age, single parents and families.
If the money you get each week is less than,
or the same as your applicable amount, you will get the full amount
of eligible Housing Benefit.
You cannot get Housing Benefit if:
You (or your partner) have savings or capital
of £16,000 or more, unless this includes one or more of the special
payments or are in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee.
You pay rent to a close relative who lives in
the same home as you
You own the place where you live
Most full time students who live alone cannot
claim. But you maybe able to claim if your partner is a
full-time student.
Housing Benefit may be reduced further if:
Your income and circumstances mean that you
don not get full housing benefit
If you are single and aged less that 25 years
of age you will normally only receive the single room rent
The property is too big for you and other
members of your household’s needs.
If your Housing Benefit does not cover your
eligible rent and you are in financial difficulty you may be able
to claim for a Discretionary Housing Payment.
How will your benefit be paid?
Housing Benefit can be paid direct to you,
direct to your bank account or direct to your landlord.
If you have rent arrears of over 8 weeks your
Housing Benefit will be paid direct to your landlord.
If you are unsure whether you could claim or
not, please contact the Benefits Section for further information by
emailing to benefits@havant.gov.uk or by
phoning on 023 92446382/383.
To see if you might qualify for Housing
Benefit why not try our
Benefits Calculator.
If you do not agree with the decision that has
been made on your claim refer to the section on Disputes.
If you live in a privately rented property
If you live in a privately rented property the
Rent Service which is independent of the Council, will decide the
level of rent used to work out your Housing Benefit
entitlement.
In making a determination the Rent Officer
will consider:
The level of rent
The rent for similar properties within the
vicinity
The number of rooms
The age and number of people living within the
property being assessed.
The determination will usually run for 12
months unless there is a significant change to the property or the
number of people included within the household.
Pre-tenancy Determinations
If you are planning on renting from a private
landlord you can ask the Rent Service to make a valuation before
you sign the tenancy agreement. This will give a figure to
base your Housing Benefit on. You need to to complete a pre-tenancy
determination form available on the Rent Service website or from
Housing
Benefit.
Rent Service website – http://www.therentservice.gov.uk/