• What is Housing Benefit?
• Who can claim?
• How much will I get?
• How Do I Apply?

Housing Benefit is a Government scheme run by Local Authorities (Councils) to help people on low incomes to pay for their rent.

Anyone who has to pay rent for their home can claim Housing Benefit.

• You can claim Housing Benefit even if you are working
• You don’t need to have made any National Insurance contributions
• You can still claim Housing Benefit even if you are not getting any other benefits
• You can live in:

• A Council House
• Privately rented accommodation
• A hostel
• A hotel
• A guest house or other similar accommodation
• Or other types of rented accommodation (except most residential care or nursing home)

To be entitled to Housing Benefit:

• You must live in the UK
• Occupy the dwelling as your home
• Be liable to pay rent for the dwelling

Housing Benefit is NOT available if you:

• Have capital of £16,000 or more (e.g. bank and building society accounts, investments, cash and property etc.)(Not applicable if you receive guarantee credit element of pension credit).
• Are in a co-ownership scheme
• Own your own home or are buying your own home
• Are in a nursing home or residential care home
• Are a full time student in higher education (unless you are in an exempt category i.e. single parents)
• Live in the same household as and, have to pay rent, to a close relative, in-law or employer

To work out your Housing Benefit entitlement Moray Benefits Service will look at:

• The money that you and your partner have coming in, including earnings, some benefits and tax credits and things like occupational pensions
• The capital that you and your partner may have (e.g. bank and building society accounts, investments, cash and property etc)
• Your circumstances, such as your age and the size of family you have and the ages of your children, whether there is anyone who lives with you who could help with the rent

If you rent your home from a private landlord, Moray Council Benefits Service will also ask the Rent Officer Service to look at whether:

• The amount of rent is reasonable for your home
• Your home is of a reasonable size for you and your family
• The amount of rent is reasonable for the area you live in

View    Pre-Tenancy Determinations for more information.

If you want to apply for Benefit, please contact your local  Area Office.