New claims for HB can only be made by claimants who:
- are single people of State Pension age (i.e. 66 or over), or
- are a couple, both of State Pension age (i.e. 66 or over), or
- are a 'protected' Mixed Age Couple - click here, or
- are living in 'specified accommodation', or
- are living in 'temporary accommodation', or
- are in a Mixed Age Couple where the younger is ineligible for UC - the older is treated as a single claimant and can claim HB and Pension Credit as a single person - click here.
And who:
- are paying 'rent' - or something that counts as rent, and
- are able to prove their ID, and
- have (or have applied for) a National Insurance number, and
- are liable for rent (including those who are treated as liable), and
- are living in the property (some temporary absences allowed), and
- are not excluded from claiming (e.g. some students, people from abroad), and
- have a low enough income.
Click on the icons below or the links above to find out more.
NOTE: Many working age people are not able to make a
new claim for Housing Benefit and need to make a claim for Universal Credit instead -
click here for more details.
But some people are told they have to claim UC when they don't need to!
Click here.