If you pay rent to a Housing Association, private landlord or letting agent you can claim Housing Benefit. If you are the person named on the council tax bill for your home you can claim Council Tax Benefit. As long as you pay rent or council tax and you are on benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance or a low income you can make a claim, even if you are employed, self-employed, sick or disabled, a pensioner, single or with children, out of work or looking for work. Both benefits are assessed based on either the benefit you are receiving, your income, savings, age, the amount of rent or council tax that you pay, the size and age of your family and the contribution made by any lodgers or other adults in your household. If you think that you might be entitled, you should claim as soon as possible. Housing benefit can only be paid from the Monday after the date you tell the housing benefit department that you wish to make a claim. You may be able to get your benefit back-dated if you think that you might have been entitled for a past period and you have a good reason for not having claimed earlier (e.g. because you were ill). Time limits apply, so don’t delay looking into this. Back-dating entitlement can be considered if requested in writing for a maximum of six months for all claimants under the age of 60. In order to qualify they must be able to show continuous good cause of failure to make a claim at the appropriate time. When a claim
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is made from a person over the age of 60, in most circumstances a threemonth back-date is done automatically. Again, organisations like the London Irish Centre can help you with this. You will always be asked to provide proof of your identity, income, rent and savings and provide original documents. Entitlement to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit can never be guaranteed.
Useful websites www.direct.gov.uk All you need to know about benefits, including Housing Benefit in the UK
Organisations that can help with benefits www.londonirishcentre.org www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/ get_advice.htm www.irishadvice.org.uk