Housing and Council Tax Benefits

Mainstream Housing and Council Tax Benefit is a source of help to low income households. In some circumstances you may qualify to have 100% of your rent and Council Tax paid for you.

Second Adult Rebate

Second Adult Rebate is a scheme that is not normally available to couples. If you are the only person in your household who is liable to pay the Council Tax, and you have another adult living with you (not your partner or someone paying you rent) you may be able to claim this rebate instead of mainstream Council Tax Benefit. It will be worked out by looking at the income and circumstances of the other member of your household. You can get up to a quarter of your Council Tax account paid, depending on the circumstances of the other adults in the property. Payment of Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate is made directly to your Council Tax account.

How much Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit will I get?

The amount of benefit we will award depends on five things:

1. The amount of Council Tax or rent that you will have to pay.
2. Your and your partner's income. We do not always take into account all of your income, although it is important that you advise the Benefits team of everything that you receive.
3. The size of your family. We use applicable amounts and premiums set down by the Government to work out your entitlement.
4. Non-dependents. A non-dependant is any person aged 18 years or over who lives with you, but does not pay rent on a commercial basis. This means, for example, an adult son or daughter, or an elderly relative. The Government scheme assumes they contribute to your household costs, whether they do or not. Your Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit may be reduced for each non-dependant who lives with you. The level of reduction reflects the non-dependant's income.
5. Savings and investments. If you have savings and investments below £6,000 it will not affect your entitlement to benefit. Even so, you must advise this office of any amounts that you have. However, for each part of £250 (£500 for over 60's) that you have over £6,000 and up to £16,000 we will take £1 a week as income. If your savings and investments are over £16,000 you cannot claim Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit.

Unfortunately not everyone is entitled to Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. Some of the most common reasons claims benefit may be refused are:

• Savings over £16,000 usually mean you will not be able to get Housing Benefit.
• If you are single, under 25 and want to rent a private property special rules will apply. (Please note this applies to Housing Benefit only, and not Council Tax Benefit).
• If you have come to live in the United Kingdom in the last 2 years: most asylum seekers and people who are sponsored to be in the UK cannot get Housing Benefits.
• If you pay rent to a close relative and share the same household you cannot usually get Housing Benefit. A close relative is defined in Housing Benefit (General) regulations (1987) as: 'parent, parent in law, son, son in law, daughter, daughter in law, step parent, step son, step daughter, brother, sister or a partner of any of the preceding people'.
• You cannot usually get Housing Benefit if you are a full time student, unless you are disabled or have children.

Please note: this list is not exhaustive.

A benefits calculator can be found on an external website called 'Entitled To', a link to which can be found on the right.

For further information please contact the Revenues Division on 01789 260991 or by email at revenues@stratford-dc.gov.uk or by fax on 01789 260444.

|	How to Claim Benefit
Information on how to claim both Housing and Council Tax Benefits.
|	Changes in Circumstances
What to do and when to tell the Council if your circumstances change.
|	Backdated Benefits and Overpayments
Information about how to claim backdated benefits, and what happens when an overpayment occurs.
|	Temporary Absence
Normally, Housing and Council Tax Benefit are only payable whilst you are living at the property. However, in certain circumstances benefit can be paid whilst you are away from home..
|	Benefits Information and Leaflets
If you require any additional information you may be interested in the following leaflets, which are available in languages other than english.
|	Are you struggling with your Rent or Council Tax?
Discretionary Housing Payments struggling with rent or council tax
|	The Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is an independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively.
|	Housing Benefit
Information on Housing Benefit.