Housing benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It is being replaced by Universal Credit.
Housing benefit is a means tested benefit. This means that your income and savings affect your ability to claim the benefit. It also depends on how much of your rent qualifies. For example, you can’t get help with any part of your rent that covers things like service charges, heating, lighting and internet.
Housing benefit can be paid direct to you, to your bank account or to your landlord. If you rent from a private landlord (not the council or a housing association), the amount of rent you can get help with is set by the Local Housing Allowance (LHA).
If you have rent arrears of over eight weeks your housing benefit will be paid direct to your landlord.
Before you apply
Please use our benefits calculator to see which benefits you may be entitled to before applying for housing benefit. The online calculator covers all benefits including Universal Credit.
How to apply
To make a claim for housing benefit, you will need to complete the following online form.
If you need to provide additional evidence to support your claim, you can send this to us online.
You should apply straightaway if you think you are eligible for housing benefit as it is not always possible to backdate payments. You should also let us know immediately if your circumstances change as any overpayment must be paid back to the council.
Housing benefit exemptions
You cannot usually get housing benefit if:
- you (or your partner) have savings or capital of £16,000 or more
- you pay rent to a close relative who lives in the same home as you
- you own the place where you live
- you are a student living alone
How often will housing benefit be paid?
Housing benefit is paid every two or four weeks. It is paid in arrears (at the end of the two or four weeks for which it is due).
If housing benefit is paid directly to your landlord, it will be paid at the end of every four weeks.
Can a bank take housing benefit to pay my overdraft?
No, banks are not allowed to use housing benefit or any other benefit to repay an overdraft.
You can protect your housing benefit payments by telling your bank it should only be used to pay your rent.
This protection is called a 'first right of appropriation’ - mention this right to your bank if it doesn't allow you to use your income to pay your bills.
This won’t stop the bank from paying out any direct debits or subscriptions - they might add charges if you don’t have enough money in your account.
Need some support?
Connect to Support Hampshire has links to organisations that can help with a wide range of money-related issues including debt, emergency food and keeping our home warm.
Mental Wellbeing Hampshire is a partnership of organisations working to support good mental health and wellbeing in our communities.
Privacy notice
We are required by law to protect the public funds we administer. We may share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing, administering public funds, undertaking a public function and preventing and detecting fraud.
We participate in the national fraud initiative which is a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud.
For more information, please see our privacy policy.