Housing benefit
Housing benefit is a scheme to help people pay their rent to us, a housing association or a private landlord.
Maintenance
Due to maintenance being carried out from Saturday 12 September 2026 at 6am to Monday 14 September 2026 9am, you may not be able to access our online service. We apologise for any inconvenience
Applying for housing benefit
Find out how to apply, and whether you have to claim universal credit instead.
Changes in circumstances
You must tell us about any change in your circumstance that may affect your housing benefit entitlement.
View your benefit account online
You can keep track of your benefit payments online.
What affects your claim
See how savings, earnings and the people you live with may affect how much housing benefit you receive.
Disputing decisions
What to do if you disagree with our decisions.
Under-occupation
Claimants who have more bedrooms than they need will have a percentage restriction applied to their eligible rent.
Local housing allowance
The local housing allowance (LHA) provides housing benefit for private tenants.
Crisis and Resilience Fund – Housing Payments
Apply for a Housing Payment if you need extra help to cover your housing costs.
Backdating claims
For your claim to be backdated we must be satisfied that you have a good reason for failing to claim earlier.
Service standards
What you can expect from us and what you can do if we do not deliver the standard of service we have agreed to provide.
Overpayments
An overpayment is an amount of housing benefit that has been paid, but for which there was no entitlement under the regulations.
How to send us evidence
Information about how to send us the evidence we need concerning your housing benefit claim or a change in circumstances.