Frequently asked questions

• Am I entitled to benefits and how much could I get?
• How do I make a claim?
• When does my benefit start?
• What's the difference between housing benefit and Local Housing Allowance?
• What does the benefit pay for?
• What happens if I live with a close relative and they charge me rent?
• What happens if I rent from a close relative who lives elsewhere?
• What income do you take account of?
• What should I do if my circumstances change?
• Can I claim backdated benefit?
• What happens if I need to go away from home?
• What happens if I go into hospital?
• What happens if I leave home because I'm at risk of violence?
• What happens if I go into prison?
• Can I claim housing benefit if I am self employed?
• I'm a student - can I claim housing benefit?

Am I entitled to benefits and how much could I get?

Housing and council tax benefit can help you meet the cost of your rent and council tax if you are on a low income. You can claim if you are working and you do not have to be getting any other benefits.

The amount of benefit you getdepends onthe level of your capital and income, together with your individual circumstances. For a quick estimate of how much benefit you could get, see our online benefits calculator.

How do I make a claim?

Don’t delay – you will lose money if you do! If you telephone us, we will normally come and see you at home to help you with making your claim. Alternatively, we can send you a claim form or, if you call in to see us, we will help you to do this at the office.

Either way we will treat the date of your phone call as the date of your claim provided that we get the completed form and any supporting evidence back quickly - but in any event within a month.

You can also make a claim through your local Job Centre plus office if you are claiming other benefits through them or through the Pensions Service, if you are claiming Pension Credit. In many cases we are able to treat the date of your claim through them as the date of your claim with us, if that is more beneficial to you.

People over the age of 60 are allowed up to 12 months to claim benefit for an earlier period for which they would otherwise be entitled.

When does my benefit start?

If you are already living in a property your benefit will normally start on the Monday after you make your claim.

If you move into a new address we can start your claim on the date that you move in provided we receive the claim form before you move in or within the same week (for benefit purposes a week begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday).

If you are receiving Income Support, or Jobseekers Allowance (income based) and you move into a new address, your benefit will normally start on the date that you move in provided we receive a claim form within four weeks of that date.

There are special rules for people living in hostel accommodation and, as mentioned above, for people aged 60 or over.

Do you live in privately rented accomodation?

If so, you will normally claim Local Housing Allowance instead of Housing Benefit. It will depend on the type of tenancy you have, and where you live. Please see our page on the Local Housing Allowance to find out more about this.

What's the difference between Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance (LHA)?

The two main differences are:

The levels of LHA are not specific to individual properties, as they are now for Housing Benefit. LHA is based on the size and ages of the family, the size of dwelling appropriate to that family and the broad area in which they live. The actual amount paid is based on the person’s income, capital, and other personal circumstances in the same way as Housing Benefit,.

LHA will generally be paid directly to the tenant, who is then responsible for paying the full rent to their landlord. There are safeguards in place, however, to pay the landlord in certain cases e.g., where people are vulnerable.

What does the benefit pay for?

We cannot give you any help towards water charges, heating charges and some other charges such as those for washing your own clothes or cleaning your room or flat - you must pay these.

If you get Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income-based) or Guarantee Pension Credit, we pay you the maximum allowable.

However, if you have any other adults living with you, such as grown-up children, we may have to reduce the benefit we can pay you.

You will also get benefit for the full council tax bill (after discounts and any reduction for disability) less any amounts for other adults living with you.

If you do not get Income Support , Job Seeker’s Allowance (income-based) or Guarantee Pension Credit, the amount of benefit we can give you depends on the amount of income you have coming in every week, as well as other things like:

• The amount of rent or council tax you pay;
• Whether you are single;
• Whether you have children;
• Whether you are over 60, or;
• Whether you have a disability.

For a quick estimate of what you are entitled to, answer the questions in our online benefits calculator.

What happens if I live with a close relative and they charge me rent?

If you live with one of the following people and they are also your landlord you cannot claim housing benefit.

A parent, step parent or parent in law; a brother or sister; a son, son in law, daughter, daughter in law, step-son, step daughter or partner of any of these. However, if you live in separate accommodation such as is commonly known as a ‘granny annexe’, you may still be able to get help with council tax for it.

What happens if I rent from a close relative who lives elsewhere?

If the relative from whom you rent the property does not live there you can only claim housing benefit in certain circumstances. Please contact us for more information..

What income do you take account of?

The following income is taken into account:

• All your earnings less tax, National Insurance and half of any pension contributions you make. Your earnings include commission, bonuses, tips, overtime and part-time earnings.
• Working Tax Credit, Incapacity Benefit, Job Seeker’s Allowance (contribution based), state pensions and benefits and pensions from past employers.
• Maintenance payments, rent from sub-tenants and any other income.
• If you are under 60 years of age and your savings are between £6,000 and £16,000, we add £1 per week into the calculation as an assumed income for every £250 you have above £3,000.
• If you are aged 60 years or over, £1 per week will be included in the calculation for every £500 you have above £6,000.

What should I do if my circumstances change?

Tell us straightaway if:

• Any of your children leaves school or leaves home; or
• Anyone moves in or out of your home (including lodgers and subtenants); or
• Your income or the income of anyone living with you, including benefits, changes; or
• Your capital, savings or investments change; or
• You or anyone living with you becomes a student; goes on a Youth Training Scheme; goes into hospital or a nursing home; goes into prison; or gets, changes or leaves a job; or
• Your rent changes; or
• You move house; or
• You or your partner are going to be away from home for more than a month; or
• You receive any decision from the Home Office; or
• Anything you have told us about changes.

You must tell us about these changes in writing – a phone call is not enough. If you don’t tell us about these changes, you may lose money you are entitled to or you may get too much benefit. Don’t rely on someone else to pass on the message!

It is an offence not to tell us about any change of circumstance that affects your benefit. We may take court action against you. If we pay you too much benefit, you will probably have to pay it back.

Can I claim backdated benefit?

If you wish to claim backdated benefit and you or your partner are under 60 years old, you will have to show ‘good cause’ as to why you failed to claim earlier.

Examples of 'Good cause' are having been incapacitated in some way, such as being in hospital or suffering from severe mental distress, or having been advised wrongly by someone offering advice in a professional capacity. See Backdating benefit payments for more information.

What happens if I need to go away from home?

If you go away from home temporarily for more than a short holiday you should contact us before you go. If you do not contact us your benefit may stop and you might have to make a new claim on your return.

If you contact us first and your circumstances remain otherwise unchanged, you may still be entitled to receive housing benefit for up to 13 weeks - whatever the reason for the absence.

If your absence is expected to be more than 13 weeks, and none of the special rasons listed below apply to you, we will not normally be able to pay you any benefit for the time you are away - even if you told us before you left.

Special reasons for absences of more than 13 weeks

There are different rules for people who:

• Become a hospital patient;
• Have to live elsewhere or receive approved medical care;
• Are escaping domestic violence, or;
• Are remanded prisoners (see section below about going into prison).

Up to 52 weeks can be allowed in these cases.

In all cases you must intend to return to the property and you must not charge somebody else rent for living in your accommodation whilst you are away.

What happens if I go into hospital?

If you go into hospital we can pay your benefit for up to 52 weeks provided that you are expected to return home within that time. Please ask a friend, or relative, or a hospital social worker to let us know where you are as soon as possible.

What happens if I leave home because I'm at risk of violence?

It is possible for housing benefit to be paid for up to 52 weeks if you have had to leave your home because of fear of domestic violence. If you are in a woman’s refuge you should ask one of the workers to contact us, if you feel unable to do so yourself, even if the refuge is not in South Norfolk. We will not disclose your refuge address to anyone.

What happens if I go into prison?

If you are in prison as a remand prisoner you can still receive benefit for up to 52 weeks. If during this time you are sentenced and committed to prison, your housing benefit will stop unless your total absence from home including the period already spent on remand will be 13 weeks or less. If you have to give notice to quit whilst you are in prison, we may be able to help for up to four weeks.

A friend or relative or a prison social worker should inform us of what has happened as soon as possible.

Can I claim housing benefit if I am self employed?

You can claim housing benefit if you are self-employed. You must send us your trading accounts for the last financial year. If you have only recently set up the business and do not have a full year’s accounts, we will need to see some other evidence of your income.

You should not delay claiming until you have your trading accounts, as they can be sent in later. See our page on Benefits for the self-employed for more information.

I'm a student - can I claim housing benefit?

Only certain students can claim housing benefit.

They must be in one or more of the following categories:

1. Currently receiving Income Support or Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance (but students eligibility for IS and JSA(IB) is also restricted).
2. All part-time students
3. Under 20 not in higher education
4. Aged 60 or more
5. Responsible for a child or young person
6. Responsible for a foster child
7. Qualify for a disability premium
8. Students whose grant assessment (if made by an English, Welsh, Scottish or Northern Ireland grant-awarding body) includes a disabled student’s allowance for deafness – even if they get a grant for fees only.

Students who are single, with or without children, can claim help if they are one of the groups listed above. If you have a partner, the same rules apply. If you are both students, at least one of you must be in the above groups.

A student is anyone attending a full-time study course above A-level standard at an education establishment.

During term time, students living in a hall of residence, or other accommodation managed by the college, cannot claim housing benefit. However, they may be able to get help if they live there during the summer holidays.

If you are from abroad, you should ask about possible help with rent and council tax payments. For students from overseas there is no automatic right to housing benefit. It will depend on a person’s particular circumstances, and we will be pleased to explain the benefit situation to you.

When your benefit is worked out, your Student Loan is taken as income.

Further questions

If the above questions do not cover your enquiry then please contact the benefits team - our contact details are given below.

Related pages on this website

• Local Housing Allowance
• Online benefits estimate
• Make a benefit claim