Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit is a national welfare benefit administered by local councils. It is designed to help people on low incomes in rented accommodation.

You can find out if you are eligible to receive Housing Benefit by using a benefits calculator.

You may be eligible if any of these apply:

• You and your partner are of State Pension age. Visit the GOV.UK website to check your State Pension age.
• You live in council-allocated ‘temporary’ accommodation.
• You live in private ‘supported’ accommodation (such as hostels, refuges, and property that includes care, support or supervision).

If none of these apply to you, you may be eligible to apply for Universal Credit.

Apply for Housing Benefit

Use the online form below to submit your Housing Benefit application:

Start now

You can apply for a backdated claim of up to one month if you:

• have a good reason for a late claim
• can provide proof to support your claim, such as a hospital stay or mental incapacity

You need to provide evidence to support your claim for Housing Benefit. You will be told what documents to provide when you apply online. Find out how to send evidence for your benefit claim.

How much Housing Benefit you can claim

Every privately rented property has a Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate. The maximum amount of Housing Benefit you can get is 100% of the LHA rate. If your rent is more than the LHA rate, you cannot get Housing Benefit on the difference.

You can search Directgov for LHA rates by postcode.

Your Housing Benefit may be reduced if:

• there are other adults living in your household, such as non-dependent children over the age of 18
• you have more bedrooms than the rules say you need (sometimes referred to as 'bedroom tax')

You can check on Citizens Advice if a room counts as an extra bedroom for Housing Benefit.

Tell us about changes to your situation

If you receive Housing Benefit, you must let us know if you move home or of any other change that may affect your benefit. 

Find out how to report a change that affects benefits.

Other financial support

You can apply for housing support as part of Universal Credit.

If you are finding it difficult to pay your Council Tax, you may be eligible to apply for Council Tax Support.

Find out more about other benefit types.