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What is Housing Benefit?
Most people who rent their homes and are on incomes which are significantly below average, are entitled to receive the largely Government funded Housing Benefit to help meet their housing costs.
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How do I Claim Housing Benefit?
It is particularly important that anyone interested in claiming Housing Benefit entitlement should contact either their local Service Point or relevant Housing Benefit staff as soon as possible. This is because there is a risk that the claimant may not be entitled to receive Housing Benefit for any rent paid before the Council (or Communities Scotland) was informed of the claim.
Every Housing Benefit claimant must submit and sign a detailed application form, which Council staff are happy to help applicants understand and complete.
Verification of the applicant's financial resources is essential, so evidence of both income and capital will be required to support the answers given in the application form. This means that payslips, bank statements, benefit books and so on must be submitted to Council staff along with your claim if possible. If you cannot send evidence with your claim, you should return your form right away and you then have 4 weeks to supply the evidence.
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When will my Housing Benefit Start?
Your benefit will normally start from the Monday after the day the Council receive your claim.
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How much Housing Benefit will I get?
The Council staff then work out how much Housing Benefit is due according to the answers to the following four questions:
- How much money the applicant has coming in from his/her earnings and any other income and from his/her partner's earnings and income;
- How much money the applicant and, where applicable, partner have saved or invested (no Housing Benefit will be paid where savings amount to £16,000 or more and it may be reduced on a sliding scale if savings are over £3,000). If the claimant is 60 or over a different rate of £6,000 applies.
- The applicant's personal circumstances, e.g. the numbers of dependants living in the same household, number of non-dependants living in the household, whether the applicant is disabled, etc.
- The maximum rent level which the Housing Benefit system will support (see below for explanation.)
A single application form is used to claim Council Tax Benefit as well as Housing Benefit. This means that the end result of the application process could result in the applicant receiving both benefits.
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What is the Maximum Rent Level?
If the applicant is a Council tenant then the rent may be met in full by Housing Benefit. If, however, the applicant is a Housing Association or private tenant and the rent charged is considered to be too high then the Housing Benefit paid out will be less than the rent charged.
It is particularly important, therefore, that those who are thinking of renting a private property should contact the Council's housing benefit staff to find out what level of rent is likely to be met by Housing Benefit. Staff can either make an informal calculation on the basis of their indicative rent levels for similar properties or they can give a precise ‘pre-tenancy determination’ (PTD). However, the determination, which usually takes three days to process can only be given where the landlord has given written consent. Both the informal and formal advice given by Council staff will give the applicant a clear idea of whether he or she will be able to afford the rent asked, after any contribution from Housing Benefit has been allowed for.
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Are there Housing Benefit Restrictions for Single People Under 25?
It is important to note the restrictions that have been imposed by Government on the amount of housing benefit which can be given to some single people under 25 years old renting privately. The housing benefit may be restricted to the equivalent indicative rent in the area for a single room. This amount varies from area to area within the Highland area, but it is between £30-£40 per week, irrespective of the actual rent charged. It will depend on the area and also the type of accommodation rented (e.g. a room within a house sharing facilities or renting an entire house). Young single people on low incomes are therefore advised to speak to an advice agency or Housing Benefit staff before accepting any offer of rented accommodation.
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Do I have the Right to Appeal?
Any Housing Benefit applicant has a right to ask the Council to review their decision, if the applicant is not satisfied with it.
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Where can I get further Information?
For all Housing Benefit enquiries, telephone The Council’s Finance Service on Freefone 0800 393 811. (This is free from all landlines, but some mobile networks will charge for the call. Please check with your network provider).
Detailed information and advice on all the assessment procedures for Housing Benefit will also be willingly given by the Council's trained staff at Benefits Offices or Service Points or by local advice agencies, e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau. Contact details for local benefits offices can be found below and in Appendix A
The following leaflets are also available from Benefits Offices and Service Points:
- Housing Benefit for Council Tenants
- Housing Benefit for Private Tenants
- Council Tax Benefit
- If We Overpay Housing Benefit
- Thinking of Renting Private Accommodation
Useful website: Department for Work and Pensions
Local Benefits Offices
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross:
Market Square, Wick, KW1 4AB
Main Street, Golspie, KW10 6RB
Ross, Skye and Lochaber:
Ross House, High Street, Dingwall, IV15 9RY
Tigh Na Sgire, Park Lane, Portree, IV51 9GP
Lochaber House, High Street, Fort William, PH33 6EL
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
- 21-23 Church Street, Inverness, IV1 1DY
- Ruthven Road, Kingussie, PH21 1EJ
- The Court House, High Street, Nairn, IV12 4AU
or contact by telephone: 0800 393 811
or by e-mail operations.team@highland.gov.uk
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