Housing benefit is support to help pay your rent. For most households it has been replaced by Universal Credit.
You can still claim Housing Benefit if you are:
- A pensioner: Check if you have reached the qualifying age for State Pension Credit. There are different rules for couples.
- Living in temporary accommodation: This is where your housing is arranged by the council because you are homeless.
- Living in specified accommodation: This is a definition used in Housing benefit regulations. It sets out the 4 different types of supported housing and the criteria that must be met in order to receive support. This support is for housing costs through housing benefit. The 4 types of specified accommodation are:
You will not be eligible for housing benefit if you live in supported accommodation and rent from a private landlord. Only not-for-profit landlords can be considered under the four categories of specified accommodation.
Specified Accommodation and Evidence to support your claim
You will need to provide two signed questionnaires which you can download from Providing proof of rent and tenancy.
They must include:
- Evidence of care, support and supervision provided
- Evidence of need of care, support and supervision
- Rent breakdown to show all charges
- Evidence of all rent charges may also be required
You will not be entitled to Housing Benefit if
- you or your partners savings and investments are above £16,000, unless you are receiving Pension Credit Guaranteed Credit (PCGC)
- you own and occupy your own home. Instead you can apply for Support for Mortgage Interest
How to apply for Housing Benefit
- You must apply for Housing Benefit through your MyHarrow Account.
- If you don't already have a MyHarrow Account, please register first. Then, you can access the application form.
- The person claiming housing benefit must complete the form themselves. If you are applying on behalf of someone else you must have Power of Attorney (proof will be required)
- The form will ask about you and any people who live with you, You will need to provide details of income, capital and other benefits currently received.
- You can save your progress using the 'Save' button in the top right of the form. When you next log in to your account, you can access the saved form on the 'My Activity' tab
Providing documents
When we get your application, we'll email you telling you which documents you need to provide. For further information see our guidance on providing documents for Housing Benefit.
Do check your junk and spam folders for the email.
European Union (EU) nationals and the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
To be considered eligible for Housing Benefit, you will need to prove your status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS). This applies if you are an EU national who has been resident in the UK before 1st January 2021. For information see Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Backdating your claim
For details on backdating, see Backdating your benefit claim.
Find out how much Housing Benefit you could get
To find out what benefits you might receive, you can use the Benefits Calculator. This calculator is for guidance only. It will give you an estimate of your entitlement. The amount of Housing Benefit you are entitled to if you are a private tenant is determined by a Local Housing Allowance (LHA).
How we will share your information
We will use the information you provide to process your application. We will also use the information you provide for other purposes. For further details, see our privacy notice.