Can I Claim Housing Benefit?

We want everyone who would qualify for Housing Benefit to claim the help they are entitled to receive.

You can make a claim for Housing Benefit if:

You pay rent to Sheffield Homes.

You pay rent to a landlord.

You pay rent to a Housing Association.

You are a boarder whose rent includes meals.

You live in a Hostel.

You live in a mobile home or houseboat.

You are renting under a shared ownership arrangement.

If you are a joint tenant we can help pay your share of the rent.

Tell me about the circumstances where I will not be entitled to claim Housing Benefit

You will not be entitled to any Housing Benefit if:

You are not responsible for paying the rent. However, in certain circumstances, you can be treated as the person who is responsible for paying the rent, even if your name is not on the Tenancy Agreement, for example, you are the partner of the person named on the Tenancy Agreement.

Either you or your partner, or both of you together, have more than £16000 in savings (unless you get the guaranteed part of Pension Credit).

You pay rent to a close relative who lives with you.

You live in a care home, such as a nursing home or elderly person's home.

You rent from your ex-partner and you both used to live there.

You are the parent or guardian of your landlord's child.

You live in the home as part of your job.

You are an asylum seeker, unless you've been given refugee status or indefinite or exceptional leave (also called discretionary or humanitarian leave) to remain in the United Kingdom.

You have been admitted to the United Kingdom on the condition that you have no recourse to public funds. This means that you must not claim benefits.

You are a sponsored immigrant and have lived here for less than five years.

You are in the United Kingdom illegally or your permission to stay has run out.

It is advisable to visit our webpage People from Abroad, if you are considering making a claim for Housing Benefit, but are newly arrived in or recently returned to the United Kingdom.

Are there any other circumstances that might affect my eligibility to Housing Benefit?

You may not get Housing Benefit if any of the following apply:

You used to live with your landlord as a family member, relative or friend, and now pay that person rent.

You live in a property run by a religious order and you are a member of that religious order.

You rent from a trust and you are also a trustee or beneficiary.

You rent the property from a company and you are a director or employee of the company.

You used to own the property which you now rent.

You are a student (most full-time students don't qualify, but some do). Go to Students for more information.

You are temporarily living away from your usual home.

To find out what to do and where to go to get further information go to Points of Contact for Benefit Help. In addition we have provided some more detailed information for People from Abroad, wishing to check their eligibility to claim Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit.

How useful is this page?

[ Comment On This Page? ]

Browsealoud |