Housing Benefit

• What housing benefit covers

• Who can claim

• How much is paid

• Back-dating claims

• Appeals

Housing benefit for private tenants

• Private tenants are sometimes charged very high rents.  Housing Benefit will often be restricted to a lower level than your actual rent, even if you are entitled to the "maximum" amount.  The rules on "rent restrictions" are complicated.  If Housing Benefit is not enough to pay all your rent you may be able to apply for Discretionary Housing Payment, which may help to pay the shortfall in Housing Benefit. Further information on Discretionary Housing Payments

• If you claim Housing Benefit when you live in privately-rented property, the benefits service (Liberata) will refer your case to the Rent Officer.  If you are a Regulated tenant this will not apply to you and you can see more information on the Shelter website. The Rent Officer does not work for the council but for a separate organisation called the Rent Service, based Leeds, formerly in Doncaster.  The Rent Service produces a leaflet describing what the Rent officer does, see The Rent Service and Housing Benefit document (pdf, 206 kb) 

• If you want to find out the maximum amount of Housing Benefit that can be paid before you enter in to an agreement to live in a property, you can ask for a "pre-tenancy determination" this is like getting a quote from the Rent Service.  Both you and your prospective landlord have to sign the application. A "pre-tenancy determination" will not be relevant if you are applying for Local Housing Allowance instead of Housing Benefit.