Help with rent payments

UC has replaced Housing Benefit in most circumstances. If you currently get Housing Benefit, your claim may eventually move to UC.

If you need to change your claim, you will be contacted by:

• the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in England, Scotland and Wales
• the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland.

You do not need to do anything until you have been contacted.

If you do not need to change your claim for any reason, your benefit amount will stay the same if the DWP or DfC moves your claim to UC.

You can still make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you:

• have reached State Pension age, unless you have a partner who is under State Pension age and you do not get Guarantee Credit
• live in temporary accommodation
• live in sheltered or supported housing with special facilities, such as alarms or wardens.

If none of these situations apply, you must claim UC instead.

The amount of UC you can get depends on your situation.

If you rent from a private landlord, your housing payment is worked out using Local Housing Allowance rates. These are based on the cost of renting in your area and how many rooms you need.

• If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you can find out the rate in your area.
• If you live in Northern Ireland, contact the Housing Executive.

If your home has more than 1 bedroom, there is a maximum amount you can get. This depends on:

• where you live
• your income
• how many people live in your house.

If your rent is higher than Local Housing Allowance rates, you must pay the difference. You may be able to get help through a Discretionary Housing Payment.

If your rent is lower than Local Housing Allowance rates, you could get the full amount of your rent in housing payment. You cannot get more than this amount. The amount must not be higher than the benefit cap, if the cap applies to you.

Single people under the age of 35 who rent from a private landlord can usually only get housing payment for 1 room in shared accommodation. This is called the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate.

In this case, a single person means someone who:

• is not living with someone as a couple
• does not have dependent children.

This limit does not apply if you get a disability benefit.

Your housing payment is based on a ‘reasonable rent’ if you rent from:

• a local council
• the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
• a housing association.

Your payment can be lowered if you have more bedrooms than you need.  

You may get housing payment for an extra bedroom if you:

• need an overnight carer
• are a couple who cannot share a room because of a disability
• have children who cannot share a room because of a disability.

For more information about this, call our money advisers on 0808 808 00 00. Your housing payment may not cover all your rent. You may be able to get help through a Discretionary Housing Payment.

Your housing payment can also help you pay for some service charges, including:

• using shared facilities – such as rubbish collection or lifts
• using essential items in your home – such as domestic appliances
• window cleaning of upper floors.

You should make sure you get bills that show any service charges you are paying.

Your housing payment for rent is usually less if you live with someone who is aged 21 or older, and is not your partner. They are expected to help with housing costs. This rule applies if you rent from:

• a private landlord
• local authority
• the Housing Executive
• a housing association.

Your housing payment is not reduced if you:

• get the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• get the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at the middle or highest rate
• get Attendance Allowance (AA).

Also, your housing payment is not reduced if the person aged 21 or older:

• gets Pension Credit
• gets the daily living component of PIP
• gets the care component of DLA at the middle or highest rate
• gets AA
• gets Carer’s Allowance
• is responsible for a child under the age of 5
• is your sub-tenant, lodger or boarder.

Your housing payment can cover rent on two homes at the same time if:

• you rent from a housing authority and they have housed your family in 2 properties because your family is large
• a family member has moved out because of fear of violence or abuse, is paying rent somewhere else, and intends to come back
• you have started renting a new home with a disabled family member, but it has not been adapted to their needs yet.

The benefit cap is a limit on how much you can get in benefits each week. This may affect the amount of your housing payment. We have more information about the benefit cap and when it applies..

For more information, call our money advisers on 0808 808 00 00.

Your housing payment may not cover all your rent. If you are having problems paying the rest of your rent, you may be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment. This is extra help from your local council or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. 

You should be told:

• how much you can get
• how long you can get it for
• what to do if you need to ask for help again.

You can find out how to apply on the GOV.UK website.

If you live in a home that you own, you may be able to get Support for Mortgage Interest through your UC housing payment. This is a loan from the government that can help towards interest payments on:

• your mortgage
• loans that you have taken out for certain repairs and improvements to your home.

If you live in a shared ownership property, you may get help paying your rent and mortgage interest. You must pay the money you get to your housing association and mortgage company.

Leasehold properties

If your property is leasehold, you may get help with some service charges, including:

• using shared facilities – such as rubbish collection or communal lifts
• window cleaning of upper floors.

Not all service charges qualify, so it is important to check if you can get support. You should also make sure you get bills from your landlord or property management company showing any service charges you pay.

If you already get UC, you can apply for a housing payment though your online account. If not, you can apply online at GOV.UK.

You can also apply by calling the Universal Credit helpline:

• In England, Scotland and Wales, call 0800 328 5644, or use textphone 0800 328 1344.
• In Northern Ireland, call 0800 012 1331 or use textphone 0800 012 1441.

It helps to have as much information as you can. This includes:

• your tenancy agreement if you have one
• information about your landlord, rent, service charges or mortgage.

You usually have an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus or Jobs and Benefits office within 7 days of making your claim. If you cannot go because of your condition or treatment, you should tell them straight away. You may need to bring: 

• your current tenancy agreement, rent statement or rent book
• a signed letter from your landlord that says you live at the property, pay rent and live there legally
• details of service charges you pay
• a current mortgage agreement, mortgage statement or bank statement showing mortgage payments
• details of any loan agreements secured on your property.

At the interview, you will complete a claimant commitment with your work coach. This is a record of the responsibilities you will have if you get UC.

If you rent from a housing authority, your landlord will complete a form to confirm your housing costs. This is called a housing costs verification form. The completed form is added to your online account.

You should be told when to expect your payment within 3 weeks of making a claim. You can check your online account for this information.

To claim Housing Benefit, you must:

• have a low income
• have under £16,000 in savings – unless you get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit
• be responsible for paying the rent, or live with your partner who is responsible for the rent.

Most full-time students are not eligible for Housing Benefit.

If you are part of a couple, different rules apply. In this case, you can only start getting Housing Benefit if either of the following applies:

• you and your partner have both reached State Pension age
• one of you has reached State Pension age and started claiming Housing Benefit or Pension Credit (for you as a couple) before 15 May 2019.

To find out more about Housing Benefit or to apply for it, contact your local council or the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

You may also be able to claim Housing Benefit as part of the application process if you are applying for:

• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance,
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit.