Claiming Benefits

This page provides information about how you can make a benefits claim and what information you are required to provide to support a benefits claim. You can find out what benefits are available to you and, if you are eligible, how much benefit you could receive.

How do I Claim?

You must contact the Council or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) straight away as benefit normally starts from the date you first make contact and say that you want to claim benefit. You must then complete a form and return it within one month.

You may have already completed a shortened claim form called a HCTB1 at your local Job Centre Plus or filled in a form with the Pension, Disability and Carers Service. Unfortunately this does not always hold enough information for us to process your claim.

This could be because you rent your home from someone other than the council and it does not provide details about your rent and landlord. If you do not qualify for Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance or Pension Credit the form which you have completed will not give us enough information and will need you to complete a full application form.

What information will I need to supply?

• We will need you to tell us about all the income and capital you and your partner have.
• We will also need details of your landlord and the rent you have to pay.  
• If you have other people living in your household we will also need evidence of their income. Unfortunately if you are unable to provide such information you may lose benefit.
• If you can not supply the documents we need; please do not delay making a claim
• Simply complete the claim form and send it to us immediately with a note that evidence will follow shortly.
• Evidence and Information to support your claim is available for information.

What benefits can I claim from the Council?

Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit is a government scheme to help you pay your rent.

People on low income, including those who work, may be able to get help with paying their rent by claiming Housing Benefit.

Some services may be included within your rent that cannot be met by Housing Benefit. 

From 7.4.2008 you may be subject to Local Housing Allowance ( LHA ) rules.

Council Tax Benefit

For help with your Council Tax if you are on a low income, including those who work, whether you rent or own your property. 

• It is paid direct to your Council Tax account.

These benefits are means tested so we need to know how much income you have coming in and how much you have in savings including money in your current account.

Second Adult Rebate

For people who would otherwise be treated as living alone and entitled to a Single Person Discount. But who have a person living in their home (usually another adult) on a low income. To claim second adult rebate you will need to provide proof of your identity and evidence of the income of the other person/s living with you.

Will I qualify for 2nd Adult Rebate?

Are you the only person who is liable for council tax and is the other adult(s) who shares your home:

• Aged 18 or over?
• Not paying you rent on a commercial basis, such as a boarder or lodger?
• Not paying Council Tax themselves?
• On a low income?

If you can say ’YES’ to all, claim a Second Adult Rebate!

The amount of benefit is based on the gross income of the other adults in your home.

• If the other adult(s) in your household is on Income Support, Income based Jobseekers Allowance, Income based Employment and Support Allowance or the Pensioner Credit you can get a 25% of your weekly eligible council tax.
• If the gross income of the other adult(s) in your household is less than £180 per week, then you can get a 15% of your weekly eligible council tax. 
• If the gross income of the other adult(s) in your household is between £180and £234.99 per week, then you can get a 7.5% of your weekly eligible council tax.

What rent do you use?

Housing Benefit can help you meet the rent payments on many different properties such as furnished, unfurnished flats, bed-sitters, rented houses, hostels or lodgings.  You may be renting from a housing association or a private landlord. 

From the 7th of April 2008 if you rent a property from a Private Landlord you may have your benefit assessed under the Local Housing Allowance Scheme ( LHA ). 

However there may be an occasion where we will still have to refer to the Valuation Office Agency if your property is exempt from the LHA scheme, such as House Boats, Mobile Homes, Caravans and Board and Lodgings. 

By referring to the Valuation Office it will help us to decide if the rent for your property is reasonable and if any other services or charges are included in your rent. When we refer your details the Valuation Office will tell us the maximum amount of housing benefit you can receive. This decision is binding. The level will be based upon the average rent for similar sized property in the area.  If your home is larger than the valuation officer thinks you need, this will be based on the size of property the valuation officer feels is correct.

If you do have other services or charges included in your rent, these may not be met by Housing Benefit. This may include charges for water, meals or fuel.

If you are thinking of moving to a privately rented property please use the LHA calculator (MS Excel, 4.8MB). This will give you an indication of the maximum level of help available from Housing Benefit based on the cost of the property you wish to rent, the size and make up of your household.