Housing Benefit

What is Housing Benefit?

Housing Benefit is a Department of Work and Pensions benefit to help you to pay your rent if you are on a low income. The Housing Benefit scheme is run by local councils. If you have any questions or any problems with your Housing Benefit you should contact your local council.

Housing Benefit is sometimes called rent rebate or rent allowance.

You need to make a claim to get Housing Benefit.

Who can claim Housing Benefit?

You may be able to get Housing Benefit if you need help to pay your rent.

• You may have a partner or be single.
• You may live alone or with other people.
• You may be a pensioner.
• It does not matter if you are in work or not.
• You can be employed or self-employed.
• You don’t need to have paid any National Insurance (NI) contributions.
• You can only get benefit if you have made the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man of the Irish Republic your permanent home. If you have entered the United Kingdom within five years of your claim for benefit, the Council will ask you about this.
• From 5th February 1996, certain asylum seekers and sponsored immigrants are not entitled to housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

You can get help from your Council for most types of accommodation.

It does not matter if you live in:

• Council housing.
• Private rented accommodation.
• A hotel, hostel, guest house or other similar accommodation.
• Many other types of rented accommodation (but not most residential care of nursing homes).

Even if you are getting no other Department of Work and Pensions benefits you may still get Housing Benefit.

With effect from 7th April 2008 local housing allowance will be introduced. The Government is changing Housing Benefit to make it fairer and easier to use.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a new way of working out Housing Benefit for some tenants on a low income living in private rented accommodation.

It is a flat rate allowance towards rent costs based on:

• The area you live in

• Who lives with you

• What money you have coming in

• What savings you have

LHA is not based on the rent charged by the landlord, so the Housing Benefit you receive may be higher or lower than the rent you are being charged.

You cannot claim Housing Benefit if you live in the same household as, and have to pay rent to, a close relative or in-law such as a parent, step-parent, stepson, son, step-daughter, brother-in-law or their partners.

For more information telephone  Contact Oldham on 0161 770 6633 or e-mail benefits@oldham.gov.uk. There is also a 24 hour form request line on 0161 770 3915.

Further detailed information on Housing Benefit, including a benefits calculator and application form is available on the Greater Manchester Benefits website.

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Oldham Council, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1UT.
Telephone 0161 770 3000