Advice on applying for housing benefit

About Housing Benefit
The purpose of the Housing Benefit scheme is to help people on low incomes to pay their rent. The Tenant Services department is happy to help tenants with their Housing Benefit applications, but it is your responsibility to ensure an application is made and relevant information provided to Housing Benefit. You do not have to be unemployed or in receipt of welfare benefits to be entitled to Housing Benefit - in some circumstances people in full time employment are eligible for help.

If you want to apply for Housing Benefit, application forms are available from your local Council Office (some Councils have a 'One Stop Shop' where you can pick up a form and obtain advice) - forms are also available from the Housing Services department at the Association's registered office. If you are returning the form to the Council yourself, it is advisable for you to keep a photocopy and ask them for a receipt, in case you need to chase the application.

People who are not in work and who receive Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance will normally be entitled to 100% Benefit on all their rent covered by Housing Benefit (but in some circumstances, not all of a tenant's rent will be covered by Benefit).

Some restrictions apply and they include:

• people in a tenant's household who are over 18 and 'non dependent' (i.e. not a partner or spouse) will cause Housing Benefit to be reduced
• tenants who have other income (e.g. a pension or part time work) which takes their total income over the Income Support limits and who will have their Housing Benefit reduced to reflect this
• tenants who have capital of £16,000 or over who will not be entitled to Housing Benefit. Also, tenants with savings of £3,000 or over will have £1 taken off their entitlement for every £250 above that amount.

Making a Claim
When making a claim you must provide the local Council with all the information they need to make an assessment. This will include proof of income and your rent and a copy of your tenancy agreement. If this is done within 4 weeks of the application being received at the Council offices, the claim will start from the date they receive the application. If you fail to produce the information within the 4-week period, your entitlement to Housing Benefit will only start from the Monday following the Council's receipt of the information.

Housing Benefit Reviews
Housing Benefit will usually be awarded for a period of 52 weeks, after which the Housing Benefit office will want to review your claim to check whether you are still entitled to Housing Benefit (if your circumstances change regularly - for example if you take on occasional part time work - your review period may be shorter than 52 weeks). About 8 weeks before your claim is due for review the local Council will send you a review form. Different Councils have different ways of carrying out reviews (for example, some will ask to see all your documents again) but the important thing to remember is that you must complete the review form before the end of your claim period to continue receiving Housing Benefit. If you fail to complete the review form, your Housing Benefit will be suspended at the end of the claim period and only reactivated once you have made a fresh claim.

Changes in Circumstances
It is extremely important, if any of your circumstances change which affect your entitlement to Housing Benefit, that you contact your local Council immediately.
Examples of changes of circumstance include:

• a change of address
• changes in income or capital
• changes in the rent you pay
• non-dependants moving into or out of your home.

This is not a complete list. If in doubt, contact the Customer Services team on 020 8222 7300.

Unsure about Housing Benefit?
If you have any queries about housing benefit, are unsure about your entitlement, or if you just need help completing your forms, contact the Customer Services team on 020 8222 7300 and someone will be happy to help you.

Alternatively, if you are resident in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, you can drop in to our Housing Advice service, held at Craft Court every Tuesday 2 - 5pm; Wednesday 2 - 4pm; Thursday 10am - 5pm by appointment only. Appointments last an hour. Please contact the Customer Services team as above to book an appointment.