Housing and Council Tax Benefit
What is Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit ?
Housing Benefit is a national welfare benefit which is paid by
the Council to help meet the cost of your rent. Anyone who pays
rent for their home can claim. It does not matter whether your
landlord is a housing association, a private company or an
individual. However, you cannot normally be awarded benefit if you
live with a member of your family and are paying them rent.
The same applies for Council Tax Benefit, it is a welfare
benefit which can help reduce your council tax bill. Both Housing
and Council Tax Benefit are means tested.
Benefit can help meet the cost of your rent and council tax if
you:
- Have a low income - whether you work or
not
- Are responsible for paying the rent/
council tax
- Live in the property
- Do not have savings above
£16,000*
(*unless you claim and qualify for Pension Credit Guarantee
Credit)
The amount of benefit depends on:
- The amount of rent/ council tax you
pay
- Whether anyone else (such as lodgers or
grown-up children) live with you
- The amount of money you have coming in
each week
- The amount the Government says you need to
live on Second Adult Rebate
Second Adult Rebate (alternative Council Tax Benefit)
If you are the only person who is liable to pay the Council Tax
on your home but you share your home with one or more persons who
are over the age of 18, you can claim Second Adult Rebate for them
if they:
- Are not paying you rent for living in your
home
- Do not have to pay the Council
Tax
- Are not your spouse or partner
- Have a low gross income
Second Adult Rebate can not be granted if the claimant has a
partner resident in the property, unless the partner is discounted
(for e.g. because they are a full time student).
Second Adult Rebate is calculated differently from Main Council
Tax Benefit. The level of your own income and capital is not used
to calculate any entitlement. It is based on the combined gross
income of all the second adults living in the property. It is
awarded on a percentage basis reduction of your Council Tax
Bill.
- 25% reduction if all second adults are in
receipt of Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (income
based)
- 15% if all second adults combined gross
income is less than £144
- 7.5% if all second adults combined gross
income is between £144 - £185.99
Any Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (income based),
Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance will be ignored
in any calculation of the second adults gross income.
To claim, you need to complete and return the Second Adult
Rebate claim form and supply proof showing the gross income details
of other adults who live with you.
You may not be eligible to apply for benefit if:
- You have come to live in the UK within the
last two years**
- You are subject to immigration
control
- You are from outside the Common Travel
Area and are 'economically inactive'
- You have a second property
elsewhere
- You are a student
- You are a prisoner
- You are absent from your home
** special rules apply to people who are not British nationals.
For further information please see our benefit information leaflets. Alternatively
you can contact Customer Services.