We operate the Housing and Council Tax Benefit scheme on behalf of the government. The scheme is defined by legislation.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are help with rent and Council Tax for people who are on a low income.
You may be able to get Housing Benefit if you are responsible for making rent payments for where you live to:
- The Council or
- A Housing Association or
- A private landlord
You may be able to get Council Tax Benefit if you are responsible for paying Council Tax and you:
- Pay rent or
- Have a mortgage or
- Own your home
We do not have any discretion with regard to the rules governing entitlement or the amount of any subsequent entitlement.
These pages are intended to give an indication of the rules and limitations that we have to use when calculating entitlement.
Welfare Benefits
For further information on welfare benefits and services you may be able to get and how to apply, including forms you can download, please visit the Directgov website.
This website has an A to Z list of all the benefits you may be able to get.
Making a claim
For information on making a claim for Housing or Council Tax benefit, please visit our 'How to claim' page.