How to Apply for Housing Benefit UK: Who Can Still Claim

Housing Benefit is only open to new claims in two cases: if you have reached State Pension age, or if you live in supported, sheltered or temporary housing. For most working-age people in general housing, a new claim is no longer possible, because Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit. Check your State Pension date on GOV.UK before assuming you qualify, and check with your local council before you pay for or start a tenancy.

Can you still claim Housing Benefit?

The eligibility test for a new claim has two routes:

• State Pension age: you can claim if you have reached State Pension age. The exact age depends on your date of birth, so check your own State Pension date on GOV.UK before assuming you qualify.
• Supported, sheltered or temporary housing: you can claim if you live in this type of accommodation, whatever your age.

Universal Credit is the replacement. Where Housing Benefit no longer accepts new claims, the route for help with housing costs is a Universal Credit claim, which can include a housing element.

What this means for an existing claim

GOV.UK does not set out how existing Housing Benefit claims are handled during the transition. To find out whether your current claim is affected, contact your local council, which administers Housing Benefit. Ask whether your claim will continue, and whether you will be asked to move to Universal Credit.

Which conditions usually stop you claiming Housing Benefit?

Four conditions usually stop you from getting Housing Benefit on a new claim: savings over £16,000, paying a mortgage on your own home, living in a close relative’s home, and being a full-time student. Each rule uses the word “usually”, so check your own situation against the exact wording before you apply.

Savings above £16,000

You usually can’t get Housing Benefit if your savings are over £16,000. The exception is if you get Guarantee Credit. Add up your savings across all accounts before you apply so you know which side of the threshold you fall on.

Paying a mortgage on your own home

You usually can’t get Housing Benefit if you pay a mortgage on your own home. This rule concerns paying a mortgage on your own home; your council decides how it applies to your circumstances.

Living in a close relative’s home

You usually can’t get Housing Benefit if you live in a close relative’s home. GOV.UK sets out who counts as a close relative, so check that definition before you assume the rule applies or doesn’t apply to your household.

Full-time students

You usually can’t get Housing Benefit if you are a full-time student. If you are unsure whether your course counts as full-time, confirm your enrolment status with your college or university before you submit the form.

How do you apply for Housing Benefit?

You can apply for Housing Benefit in two ways: directly through your local council, or as part of a Pension Credit claim. If you are not eligible, you can apply for Universal Credit instead.

Applying through your local council

The direct route is the claim you make to your local council for Housing Benefit alone. Use it if you are not claiming Pension Credit. The council handles the assessment of your claim, so you contact the council directly rather than the Pension Service.

Applying through Pension Credit with the Pension Service

If you claim Pension Credit, Housing Benefit is made as part of that claim. You can apply online, or call the Pension Service on 0800 99 1234. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Plan your call within these times.

What evidence and details do you need?

The claim form asks for information about everyone in the home, not only the person applying. If you live with a partner, only one of you needs to make the claim, but partner details must still be entered, and both sets of details go on the form. Gather both names and the relevant information for each person before you start, so the form is not left partly complete.

Income, savings and rent figures are the core of the assessment. Before filling in the form, write down every source of household income with its current amount, the savings held by each person, and the rent you pay for the home. Use exact figures from your own records rather than estimates, and check that the rent figure matches your tenancy arrangement. The council uses these figures to work out your entitlement, and the award letter you receive afterwards shows the amount it calculated.

Proof of submission matters because it shows when and how the council received your claim. The required proof depends on how you send the form:

Keep this proof until you receive your decision letter. If you hear nothing after 2 weeks, contact the council to confirm it has your claim.

Can you claim in advance or get backdating?

You can do both, but each has its own limit. An advance claim lets you apply before you move, and backdating lets the benefit cover a period before your claim date. The advance window depends on your age, and the backdating limit depends on whether you have reached State Pension age.

Advance claims

An advance claim is for situations such as moving to a new home. It does not mean early payment: you usually won’t be paid before you move.

Backdating limits

Ask for backdating on the application itself. The limit depends on your State Pension status:

If you claim through Pension Credit, backdating can go back to the date you first applied for Pension Credit, which can be earlier than the other limits allow.

What happens after you apply?

Your claim goes to your local council, which assesses it and then sends you a decision. The route you used determines how the details reach the council. If you applied directly to the council, it receives your application itself. If you applied as part of a Pension Credit claim, the Pension Service sends your Housing Benefit claim details to the council, so you do not send them separately.

Decision notice

After a successful claim, the council sends you a letter that states the amount you will receive and how it will be paid. Read this letter first. It is the decision notice, and it sets out what the council has agreed before any money is paid. Keep it with your tenancy agreement and your rent statements, because you may need these documents if the amount later needs checking.

Payment timing

Payment usually does not start before you move into the property, so the first payment normally follows your move-in date rather than the date you applied. Payments usually go to your bank account if you rent privately or from a housing association.

If the rent is not fully covered

If Housing Benefit does not cover all of your rent, you may be able to apply for a Housing Payment. This is a separate application made to the council, and it is the next step to check once your decision notice shows the shortfall.

What if you can’t claim Housing Benefit?

If you are not eligible for Housing Benefit, the alternative to check is Universal Credit. Universal Credit is a separate application with its own conditions, so a refusal for Housing Benefit does not decide whether you qualify for it.

How the housing element works

The housing element is the part of Universal Credit that covers rent. Whether it is paid depends on your household’s circumstances as assessed in your Universal Credit claim. Before you apply, check your rent figure against your tenancy agreement so that the amount you enter is accurate.

Applying for Universal Credit online

Check GOV.UK for how to make a Universal Credit claim. Before you start, gather:

• your tenancy details and the rent you pay
• the names and details of everyone in your household
• your income and savings information
• your bank account details, since payments are made into an account

Complete each section in full and check your answers before you submit, because mistakes can delay the first payment.

Support for applicants excluded from Housing Benefit

If you have reached State Pension age, Housing Benefit can be claimed as part of a Pension Credit claim, as explained above.

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