How much Benefit will I receive
You benefit entitlement will be worked out by looking at the following:
- Housing Costs – your rent and/or Council Tax charge
- Income – any money that you and your partner have coming in, including earnings, some benefits, tax credits, works pensions, your savings and your partner’s savings.
- Needs – your circumstances, such as the age and size of your family and whether you or your family have any additional needs.
- Non Dependants – whether anyone lives with you who could help to pay the rent. For example, adult sons/daughters.
Housing Benefit may not cover all of your rent or the housing costs which are included in your rent. Costs it can cover include the actual rent you pay for your accommodation and charges for certain services, such as a caretaker.
Housing Benefit will not cover some costs and services which could be included in your rent, for example, water charges, charges for heating, hot water, lighting or cooking, and payments for food or fuel.
Housing Benefit will not necessarily cover all of your housing costs or rent and may be reduced if you live with someone who could be expected to pay towards their accommodation, even if they do not.
If you pay rent to a private landlord, the rent your Housing Benefit can cover will normally be restricted to an amount set by a rent officer. If you pay rent to a social landlord, such as a housing association, your Housing Benefit will not normally be restricted in this way, unless we think your accommodation is larger than you need, or your rent is unreasonably high.
Housing Costs
From April 2008 the Council will use the appropriate Local Housing Allowance rate (LHA) to work out Housing Benefit for some tenants.