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Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit is a means tested benefit administered by the Council on behalf of the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP). It assists claimants on low-incomes with their rent payments. Housing Benefit cannot assist with deposits or rent paid in advance.

 

If you pay rent to a Housing Association or private landlord, the benefit is called rent allowance. If you are a private tenant and make a claim after 7^th April 2008 you will be paid Local Housing Allowance.

 

If you rent from a Registered Social landlord you will be exempt from Local Housing Allowance and payments of Housing Benefit may be sent either to you or direct to your landlord. Council Tax Benefit may be claimed by the person responsible for payment of the Council Tax for your accommodation. Your Council Tax bill will be reduced by the amount of Benefit due to you.

 

There is no automatic entitlement to Benefit. If you are liable to pay rent and wish to claim Housing Benefit you must complete our application form or claim via the Job Centre Plus/Pension Service when claiming a benefit administered by those offices.

Will you qualify?

Whether you qualify for help depends on:

• your income
• your savings
• the size of your family
• the income of anyone else who lives with you(such as grown up children or parents)
• You will not be entitled to Housing or Council Benefit if you have savings over £16,000, unless you are also in receipt of Guarantee Pension Credit. If you have over £10,000 in capital and are of Pension-able age we will take into account £1 for every £500 you have over £10,000. If you are working age we will take into account £1 for every £250 you have over £6,000.

 

How To Claim?

Our application form and full supporting evidence should be returned without delay or it could affect the date that the Benefit starts. The application form states which documents we require to process a claim. These documents must be the original document, photocopies will not be accepted. If you cannot provide evidence straightaway you should send in the form and submit the evidence later.

 

You can ask us to send you a claim form, or call into one of our offices, or print a claim form and send it to us. Please note that we are unable to accept electronic claims at this time.

 

Official receipts will be given for claims received at any of the Council's Offices on request. To request an Application Form, please call us on 0845 054 8600 or email us at benefits@copeland.gov.uk

When Does Entitlement Start?

Benefit can only be paid where the claimant is actually occupying the premises. New tenants should make sure their claim is submitted the day they move in or their benefit will only start from the Monday after they claim.

Backdated Benefit

In some cases benefit can be backdate for up to 3 months from the date of claim, if the customer has good cause for not claiming earlier. If you would like to claim backdated benefit you need to complete the section at the end of the claim form, and give your reasons for not claiming earlier.

When Does Entitlement End?

An award of Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit only ends when the claimant

• No longer qualifies for benefit (eg because of too much income or capital)
• No longer has a liability to pay rent or council tax

Changes of circumstances

Changes in circumstances must be notified to the Council within a month of the date they occur. If you do not tell us about a change in your circumstances within one month you may lose benefit you are entitled to.

 

To report a change of circumstances please complete a change of circumstances form and send it to us, or write to us at the address below.

How is Benefit paid?

Payments are usually made four weeks in arrears by crossed cheque. Where claimants request that payments are sent direct to the landlord, we will tell the landlord how much benefit is to be paid and the period during which it will be paid.

 

Please note that if you claim after 7^th April 2008 or you move address you will be assessed under the Local Housing Allowance scheme. Where entitlement cannot be determined, and the claimant has provided all information, a payment on account can be made.

 

Important Notes: Neither claimant or landlord should make any assumptions about whether benefit will be granted, or the amount payable. Only a determination letter will confirm entitlement.

 

We are committed to making sure that only claimants entitled to benefit receive benefit. Benefit will therefore only be paid where we are satisfied with the validity of the claim. If false information is given the claimant or the Landlord may be liable to prosecution.

Second Adult Rebate

If you have other adults living with you, who do not pay you rent, you may be entitled to second adult rebate. This is an alternative to Council Tax Benefit, and is worked out using the income of all other adults in the property, not the liable person.