Housing Benefit is a government scheme to help you pay your rent.
Housing Benefit is a means-tested benefit. This means that the amount you get depends on things like:
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Your income.
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Your savings and investments
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The size of the property (for some tenants)
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The amount of your rent
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Other people who live with you
Can I claim Housing Benefit?
You can claim Housing Benefit if you are on:
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Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance; or,
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a low income
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Employment Support Allowance
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You may even be able to claim if you are working
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Other State Benefits
Please check our online calculator to see if you may be entitled click here|
Who can't claim Housing Benefit?
You can't claim Housing Benefit if:
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You are not liable to pay rent
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Either you, or your partner, or both of you together, have more than £16,000 in savings
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You live in a care home, such as a nursing home or old peoples home
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You rent a former joint home from your ex-partner
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You are the parent or guardian of your landlord's child
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You live in your home as part of your job
How do I claim Housing Benefits?
If you claim Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance you can download form HCTB1 from the Department of Work and Pensions website Direct.gov.co.uk/Benefits Fill in the form and send it back to the DWP straight away. They will send the form to us with proof of your Income Support/Job Seeker Allowance (income based) claim.
If you are on a low income you can claim by filling in one of our claim forms and giving us the proof we need to assess your claim. You can get the claim form by contacting us using the details below or alternatively you can make your application on-line.
Housing Benefit Online Application
What if I need help filling in the form?
Please contact us (details below). If you have difficulty making a claim because you are elderly or disabled, we may be able to visit you at home.
What proof do I need to give you?
If you are getting Income Support or income-based Job Seekers Allowance, we will need proof of your, and your partners National Insurance Number, along with proof of the benefits you receive. We may also ask you to provide proof of identity for both of you.
If you are on a low income we will ask for your National Insurance Number and proof of identity. We will also need to see proof of the following:
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Any Department for Work and Pensions benefit.
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Child Benefit
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Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
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Bank accounts and investments
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Childcare contract
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Wage slips
How much Housing Benefit can I get?
You might be able to get all your rent paid, but we have to take into account things like:
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Your income
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Who else lives with you
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Any savings and investments you have
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How much your rent is
If your rent includes an amount for things like heating, water rates or meals, we have to reduce your benefit because we can't pay for services like these.
How is my Housing Benefit worked out?
If you get Income Support or income-based Job Seeker's Allowance
You will get the maximum amount of rent after we have taken off charges for:
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Other people who live with you - these are called non-dependants
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Service charges
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Any rent restrictions, which the rent officer has told us about
In all other cases
We work out your benefit by comparing the money you get each week with your 'applicable amount'.
Your applicable amount is what the Government says you and your family need to live on each week.
The applicable amount will be higher for some people - for example if you are disabled or if you are a one-parent family.
When we have worked out what money you get each week, if it's less than or the same as, the applicable amount, you will usually get the maximum benefit. But don't forget, if you have non-dependants living with you we might have to make deductions from your benefit for them.
Also, the amount of Housing Benefit you get might be affected by what the rent officer has said, or by any service charges that are included in your rent.
Please note
If your income is less than, or the same as, your 'applicable amount', you should claim Income Support or Job Seeker's Allowance as you might get more help.
You may also be able to claim other benefits - i.e. Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.
What money do you count when you work out my benefit?
We count any money you have coming in. This includes things like:
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Department for Work and Pensions benefits
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Maintenance (excluding child maintenance).
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Works pensions
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Wages
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Working tax credit and child tax credit
We count the money you earn from work after money has been taken out for:
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Tax and National Insurance contributions; and,
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Half of any money you pay into a pension fund
If you work we will need to see:
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Your last five payslips if you are paid every week; or,
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Your last two payslips if you are paid every month
If you are self-employed, we usually want to see your recent accounts. If you can't provide these, please contact us for more advice.
What about other money I have?
Small amounts of savings and investments may not affect your claim, but you must tell us about all your savings and investments, including current bank accounts. You must tell us about all the bank and building society accounts that you, your partner or your children have. Don't forget to tell us about any stocks and shares that you have too.
Please remember to tell us about all the different kinds of income you get. If you are not sure, just check with us.
Do you need proof of my rent?
Yes, we need proof of your rent. You should give us proof of how much you pay and what services are included in your rent. Services are things like heating, water rates and meals.
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If you have a tenancy agreement, please provide us with a copy so we can use it to work out all the details we need to process your claim
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If you do not have a tenancy agreement, please contact us for more advice
What happens if there are other people living with me?
If you have friends, relatives or anyone over 18 living in your home, you may get less benefit. These people are called 'non-dependants'.
We may take an amount of your benefit for each non-dependant who lives in your home.
Non-dependants do not include:
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Your partner
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A child you get Child Benefit for
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People under 18
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People in full-time education
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People on youth training schemes
We will not take any money out of your benefit for non-dependants if:
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You get Attendance Allowance
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You get the care part of Disability Living Allowance
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You are registered blind
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The non-dependant is a paid carer provided by a charitable or voluntary organisation
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The non dependant is under 25, and on Income Support or Income based Job Seekers Allowance
How long will it take you to work out my benefit?
We aim to deal with all claims as soon as possible, but it depends on how quickly you give us all the information we need. When we have all the information, we will work out your benefit and write to you to tell you how much you will get.
When will my benefit start?
If you qualify, your benefit will usually start from the Monday after we get your claim form. If you think your benefit should start earlier, it is called 'backdating'. Please see Housing benefit - backdating for more information.
How will you pay me?
We will usually pay you every 4 weeks for the previous 4 weeks. We can pay you or, in some circumstances, we can pay your landlord directly.
What can I do if I don't agree with your decision?
If you don't agree with our decision, you can ask us to look at it again. See Housing benefit - appeals.
What should I do if anything changes when I am getting benefit?
You should tell us immediately if any of your circumstances change, it might affect how much benefit you receive and if you don't tell us, you may lose your benefit or we may pay you too much benefit, which you will have to pay back later. See Housing benefit - current claim.
Useful Links
To find out what other benefits you may be entitled to click on the Directgov link on the left-hand side of this page.
What offices can accept claims for benefit?
Listed below are the offices designated for receiving Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit claims.
Housing Benefits
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Bronwydd House,
Porth
CF39 9DL
Housing Advice Centre
11-12 Gelliwastad Road
Pontypridd
CF37 2BW
Or one of our One 4 All Centres|
Contact Information
Telephone: 01443 425002
Fax: 01443 680661
Minicom: 01443 680 708
Email: HousingBenefitEnquiries@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk|
Offices of RCT Homes Ltd.
Please note RCT Homes Ltd. can only accept application forms from their own tenants.
RCT Homes Ltd.
19 Canon Street
Aberdare
Rhondda Cynon Taf
CF44 7AP
RCT Homes Ltd.
16 Mill Street
Tonyrefail
Porth
Rhondda Cynon Taf
CF39 3AA
RCT Homes Ltd.
Ty Pennant
Mill Street
Pontypridd
Rhondda Cynon Taf
CF37 2SW
RCT Homes Ltd.
46 Hannah Street
Porth
Rhondda Cynon Taf
CF39 9RA