Nearly 300,000 households are missing out on £4,338 in rental support – are you one of them?
Almost 300,000 households are missing out on £1.2billion in rental support.
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners are eligible for around £4,300 a year in housing benefit, but it’s going unclaimed, according to fresh research by Policy in Practice.
The benefit is for pensioners who pay rent, are on a low income and have savings under £16,000.
If they get the guarantee credit part of pension credit, their income and savings aren’t taken into account.
New claims for housing benefit are strictly reserved for those over the state pension age.
Universal Credit‘s housing element has replaced housing benefit for those under 66 years old.
Joanna Elson, chief executive of Independent Age, says: “With 2.1million older people living in poverty, it has never been more important for older people on a low income to receive everything they are entitled to.”
Callers to the charity‘s helpline – 0800 319 6789 – who had welfare benefits checks, found they were missing out on an average of £4,000 per year.
What is housing benefit?
Housing benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits.
You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if either of the following apply:
- You have reached state pension age (66)
- You’re in supported, sheltered or temporary housing
If you’re over state pension age and live with your partner you can make a new claim for Housing Benefit if any of the following apply:
- You and your partner have both reached the state pension age
- One of you has reached State Pension age and started claiming pension credit (for you as a couple) before May 15, 2019
- You’re in supported, sheltered or temporary housing
Usually, you will not get housing benefit if:
- Your savings are over £16,000 – unless you get guarantee credit of pension credit
- You’re paying a mortgage on your own home – you may be able to get Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
- You live in the home of a close relative
- You live with your partner and they are already claiming housing benefit
- You’ve reached the state pension age but your live-in partner has not – unless you had an existing claim as a couple before May 15, 2019
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
How is housing benefit calculated?
You may get help with all or part of your rent with housing benefit payments.
It’s calculated using a number of different factors, including your rent rate, what type of housing you live in, and personal circumstances including your household income.
If you live in council or social housing
For those living in council or social housing, how much you get in housing benefit depends on your “eligible rent” – which is the rent you pay plus any service charges.
It doesn’t include costs like energy bills or other utilities.
The amount you can claim goes down if you have a spare bedroom. You’ll get 14% less of your “eligible rent” if you have one spare bedroom, and 25% for two or more.
Certain conditions are in place when it comes to sharing bedrooms – the following are expected to share:
- An adult couple
- Two children under 16 of the same sex
- Two children under 10 (regardless of sex)
If you’re a private renter
For private renters, your “eligible rent” is whatever is lower: your actual rent or your “Local Housing Allowance” rate.
As this varies depending on where you live, it’s best to check the local housing allowance rate in your area by visiting www.lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx.
How do I apply for housing benefit?
You can apply for housing benefit directly with your local council.
Find yours by visiting www.gov.uk/apply-housing-benefit-from-council.
You can also apply for housing benefit as part of a pension credit claim.
You’ll need to provide some information and evidence to support your claim for Housing Benefit.
You’ll get Housing Benefit faster if you have this available when you make your claim.
You’ll need to know:
- How much rent you pay
- Whether anything else is included in the rent, such as water, gas or electricity charges
- If you pay any service charges, including building maintenance or insurance
- Your landlord or agent’s details
Find out more by visiting www.gov.uk/housing-benefit.