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Benefit application - frequently asked questions

If you wish to apply for help to pay your rent or council tax, you will need to fill in an application form, regardless if you have filled in any forms at the Department of Works and Pensions - DWP (formerly known as DSS). If you have more than £16,000 in savings and capitals, you are not eligible for housing / council tax benefit.

The application form is available at Revenue and Benefits, Pennyfarthing House, 18 Pennyfarthing Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1HJ or to download from this website.

The following are frequently asked questions and are meant for guidance only.

• What is housing benefit?
• What is council tax benefit?
• What is second adult rebate?
• How long will it take to work out my benefit?
• How will my benefit be calculated?
• When will my benefit start from?
• I am self-employed, can I apply for benefit?
• What does housing benefit cover?
• How do you work out the maximum rent (for housing benefit purposes)?
• What happens if I can't pay all my rent?
• How do I appeal if I am not happy with my benefit?
• How can I find out how much benefit I will get before I move into a property?
• What is the Rent Service and what does it do?
• How do I appeal against the rent officer's decision?
• How do I apply for an extended payment of my benefits?
• What other help is available to me?

What is housing benefit?

Housing benefit is a social security benefit, to help you pay your rent if you are on a low income. You cannot claim housing benefit if you live in the same household as, and have to pay rent to, a close relative or in-law such as a parent, step-parent, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter or their partners.

There are two types of housing benefit:

• Rent allowance
  If you pay rent to a private landlord or a housing association and you are on a low income, you can apply for rent allowance. Depending on your income and circumstances, we can pay up to 100% of your rent. We will normally pay your benefit every four weeks in arrears, to your landlord. If you want us to pay your benefit to you, you must show us that you are not in arrears with your rent. If we do pay you, your benefit may be sent every two weeks, in arrears.
• Rent rebate
  If you are a council tenant and on a low income, you can apply for a rent rebate. Depending on your income and circumstances, we can credit up to 100% of your rent to your rent account.

What is council tax benefit?

Council tax benefit is a social security benefit to help you pay your council tax. Depending on your income and family circumstances, you can get up to 100% off your charge. We use the council tax benefit to reduce your council tax bill.

What is second adult rebate?

If your income is too high or you have too much savings or investments to qualify for council tax benefit, you may be able to claim second adult rebate as long as you have at least one non-dependant adult living with you who is on a low income. Generally, you will not qualify for second adult rebate if you have a partner or a lodger living with you.

How long will it take to work out my benefit?

We will try to work out your benefit within 14 working days of your claim being received by us. However, this is not always possible especially where further information or documents are required from you or the Benefits Agency. In such cases, we will deal with your claim as quickly as possible once we have received all the information we need.

The current delay in processing a fully completed benefit application is noted on the benefit homepage.

If you have not been contacted after 6 weeks please contact us on 01722 434483.

How will my benefit be calculated?

When we work out your benefit we take into account the following things:-

• How much money you have coming in.
• How much savings and investments you have.
• Your personal circumstances (for example, your age, how many children you have, whether or not you are disabled, whether you have other people living with you who do not depend on you for support).
• The maximum rent for your property, if you are applying for housing benefit.
• The amount of your council tax, if you are applying for council tax benefit.

If you are receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

Generally, if you receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance you will be entitled to receive maximum benefit. However, if you have any non-dependants living with you (for instance an adult son, daughter or parent), a deduction will generally be made from your benefit.

If you are not receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

If you are not receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, we will calculate your benefit based on the money you have coming in, your savings and investments and family circumstances.

In order to work out your benefit we need you to provide us with proof of all the income, savings and investments you or your partner have.

If you have a non-dependant living with you, you will also have to give us details of their income and savings as well.

Income includes such things as earnings, pensions received, benefits received, maintenance and so on.

Savings and investments include such things as cash, any money deposited at a bank or building society, stocks, shares and other properties.

If you and your partner jointly or individually have savings or investments of more than £16,000, you will not be entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit.

When will my benefit start from?

We will normally award you benefit from the Monday following the day on which we receive your claim. However, if you receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, we will award you r benefit from the Monday following the first day of entitlement to Income Support/income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, providing your benefit application is received by us within four weeks of your claim for Income Support/income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

We will only backdate your claim for benefit if you can show us you had good reasons for failing to claim benefit earlier and those reasons continued up to the time that you made your claim. Not being aware that you could claim, will normally not be considered as "good reasons". However, failing to claim due to hospitalisation, severe health problems, family bereavement and so on, would be considered to be "good reasons".

I am self-employed, can I apply for benefit?

If you are self-employed, you are entitled to apply for benefit in the same way as any other person. In order for us to work out your benefit, we will need to see your latest accounts. If you do not have accounts, or you have been trading for less than a year, we will need to see a summary of your accounts to date and your day book.

What does housing benefit cover?

Housing benefit is intended to help with the rent you pay for your accommodation. It is not intended to help with day-to-day costs like food or heating. The amount we can consider paying housing benefit on is called your maximum rent. It may not be the same as the amount you have to pay to your landlord. See How do you work out the maximum rent for more information.

Housing benefit cannot help with:

• Mortgage payments
• The cost of fuel (unless it relates to a communal area)
• The cost of meals
• Water charges
• Service charges for personal laundry
• Service charges for household cleaning (unless neither you nor a member of your household is able to do it for yourselves)
• Ground rent and service charges for your home if the lease was originally for more than 21 years.

If your rent includes any of the above, we will make appropriate deductions when we work out your benefit.

How do you work out the maximum rent (for Housing Benefit purposes)?

Please see local housing allowance.

What happens if I can't pay all my rent?

If you are likely to suffer exceptionally hardship as a result of us restricting your Housing Benefit, you can apply for additional benefit. This additional benefit is known as Discretionary Housing Payments.

The relief is awarded at the discretion of the council. In order to make you an award of Discretionary Housing Payment the council would have to satisfy itself that unless payment is made you would suffer exceptional hardship.

Please see also information about Discretionary Housing Payment.

How do I appeal if I am not happy with my benefit?

If you are not happy with the way your benefit has been worked out you can ask us to look at your claim again. Any such request should be made in writing within 1 calendar month of you receiving our decision about your benefit application.

How can I find out how much benefit I will get before I move into a property?

If you have not moved into a private property but need to find out how much benefit you would receive, take the Local Housing Allowance figure for your circumstances. You can then:

• Visit or call us and give us details of all your income, savings and personal circumstance and we will tell you what benefit you may receive if you decide to move in and make a claim.
• Use the online benefit calculator.

What are the Rent Service and Rent Officers and what does it do?

The Rent Service is a government agency providing a rental valuation service to local authorities in England, supplying them with a range of valuations to assist them in settling claims for housing benefit.

From 7 April 2008 their role has changed and instead of rental valuations on an individual basis, rates are now set monthly for size or property and area. This is now called the local housing allowance. See the current rates for the Salisbury District Council area.

You can read more information on the local housing allowance on the Rent Service website.

How do I appeal against the rent officer's decision?

If you are unhappy with the Rent Officer's valuation of your rent, you can appeal. Any appeal should be made in writing to us and we will then request the Rent Officer to arrange for your case to be reviewed. The review will be undertaking by a Rent Officer from another area, who will decide whether the original decision is correct, is too high or is too low. If he decides that it is too low, you may be awarded more benefit. However, if he decides that it is too high, your benefit will be reduced.

How do I apply for an extended payment of my benefits?

If you wish to apply for an extended payment, you need to contact your local Department for Works and Pension or local Job Centre, within 8 days of your benefits ending.

What other help is available to me?

If you are on a low income or have no income at all, you may be entitled to receive help from the Government. For further information, please contact the Department of Work and Pensions on 01225 498000, or JobCentre on 01249 428000 for exisiting claims or 0117 9536000 for new claims. Or visit their websites at www.dwp.gov.uk and www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk.

If you or your partner are working at least 16 hours a week and have at least one child under 16 (under 19 if in full time education up to and including A level or equivalent), you may be able to get Tax Credits. For more information, please see their web site Tax Credits or telephone the helpline on 0845 300 3900 (8am-8pm, 7 days a week).