What are Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit?

They are financial help towards paying your rent and/or council tax and are paid by Huntingdonshire District Council based on rules set by the Government. Housing Benefit does not help towards mortgages or home loan payments.

Who can claim benefit?

You can claim benefit as a single person, single parent or as a member of a couple. For benefit purposes a partner means, the person you are married to or a person you live with as if you are married to them, or civil partner or person you live with as if you are civil partners.

You can claim if you are on a low income and are:

• Working full or part time
• Self employed
• Retired
• Unemployed
• Disabled
• a part time student (studying under 16 hours per week)
• aged under 19 and studying below degree level (further education)
• a full time student who is disabled or a single parent
• your partner is a full time student and you are not (the non student must be the person who claims)

You will not normally be able to claim where you have a low income and:

• have savings over £16,000. This applies if you claim as a single person or a couple. (If you receive Guaranteed Pension Credit, you can still claim if your savings are over £16,000 - see the linked document "Benefit for pensioners" for more details.) 
• live with and pay rent/housekeeping to a close relative (but you may get help with council tax depending on your circumstances – see the document "What is Second Adult Rebate")
• are paying rent as a Crown tenant (but you can still claim Council Tax Benefit)
• are aged 16 or 17 and have been in local authority care (the local authority have a duty to support and accommodate you up to your 18th birthday)
• you have come to this country to live and have no claim to public funds.
• are a full time student in higher education (degree level or equivalent) without a partner or dependant children and are not disabled.
• are living in Residential Care or a Nursing home.

What help can I get towards my rent?

You can claim Housing Benefit if you are responsible as the tenant, joint tenant or sub tenant for paying rent or are paying for board/lodgings.

The amount of rent we use to work out benefit will be:

• the amount charged by your Housing Association (including Luminus Homes) but not including water rate and certain service charges.

If you are a Private Tenant we will use: 

• the rent figure set by the Rent Service. This will be where your rent includes a large amount towards food and or attendance (such as a private hostel), or
• from 7 April 2008 it will be based on the Local Housing Allowance rate for the area where you live and the number of people who live with you. 

For more details about Local Housing Allowance go to the Local Housing Allowance page.

Help towards Council Tax

To claim Council Tax Benefit you must be the person or partner of the person named on the council tax bill.

If you do not qualify for any Council Tax Benefit based on your income and savings but have other adults living with you, you may be able to claim Second Adult Rebate for them.

See the document about Second Adult Rebate opposite to see how you can claim.