This content applies to England only.

Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland

Housing benefit is paid by the council to help people pay their rent. Housing benefit is calculated by looking at your rent, the size and circumstances of your family and your income and savings. 

 This page looks at the rules for council and housing association tenants and shared-ownership leaseholders. If you rent from a private landlord, local housing allowance rules usually apply.

How much you need to live on

The council has to calculate how much housing benefit you are entitled to. They start by looking at how much money your household needs to live on each week, taking into account:

• the number of people in your house and their ages
• if anyone is sick or disabled
• if anyone is a full-time carer.  

The amounts used in the calculation will be standard figures set by the government.

Income

The council looks at how much money is coming in to the household. This can include:

• wages 
• benefits and tax credits 
• pensions
• child support or maintenance payments
• grants, bursaries and student loans.

Some amounts of income are ignored (or ‘disregarded’) – there are special rules about this.

You will be entitled to the maximum housing benefit – though this may still not cover your whole rent – if you receive income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance or the guarantee credit of pension credit.

If you are not on one of these benefits, your housing benefit will be reduced by 65 pence for every pound of income (except disregarded income) you have above the level the council say you need to live on.

Savings and investments

If you have savings of £16,000 or more, you will not be entitled to any housing benefit. This does not apply if you are of pension age and receive the guarantee credit of pension credit.

Savings or investments above a certain level are treated as though they produce an income for you and affect the amount of housing benefit you get:

• capital of more than £6000 –  if you are of working age
• capital of more than £10,000 –  if you are of pension age.

Calculating your rent

Housing benefit calculations are based on the rent and other charges you pay to your landlord. Not all types of charges are counted, and some may be limited.

To work out the amount of rent you can get help with – your ‘eligible rent’ – the council looks at the amount of rent you pay, but this is reduced if:

• you pay service charges or other charges in with your rent
• you have other adults living with you who could contribute to the rent (known as ‘non-dependants’)
• your home is considered too large for your needs.

Service charges

Service charges included in rent that cannot be paid by housing benefit include:

• changes for meals
• personal laundry service
• personal alarm system
• personal support and care
• water charges
• most fuel charges.

Housing benefit can help with the cost of some service charges, for example: 

• fuel charges for communal areas
• charges for communal laundry facilities
• charges for lifts, entry phones, gardens and children’s play areas.

Non-dependant deductions

Your housing benefit may be reduced if you have a ‘non-dependant’ living with you. This is someone aged 18 over who is not your husband, wife, civil partner or partner (including same sex partners) or a lodger. Adult sons or daughters are counted as non-dependants unless you are getting child benefit for them (for example, if they are 18 or 19 and still at school).  

No deduction is made if you or your partner

• are registered blind
• get attendance allowance or the care component of disability living allowance.

No deduction is made for a non-dependant who is:

• getting pension credit
• in prison
• in hospital for more than 52 weeks
• staying with you, but usually lives somewhere else
• a full-time student (unless they work full-time during the summer holidays)
• under 25 and getting income support, income-related jobseeker’s allowance or income-related employment and support allowance or on certain youth training courses.

Otherwise, it is assumed that a non-dependant can pay something towards your rent, whether they do or not. Your housing benefit will be reduced by a weekly amount that varies according to their income and personal circumstances. The council will deduct the maximum amount if have no evidence about a non-dependant’s income. If they are not willing to give their income details to you, ask them to contact the housing benefit department direct.

In certain cases, a deduction may be delayed for 26 weeks if you or your partner is over 65.

Size of the home

If your home is larger than your household needs, the council may limit the maximum rent that can be paid for your home. This depends on the number of rooms there are in the property and the number of people who live there.

One bedroom is allowed for:

• a couple
• a person over the age of 16
• two children of the same sex aged under 16 
• two children aged under 10
• an only child
• a carer (if you or your partner requires overnight care).

Living rooms are also allowed:

• one for less than four people 
• two for four to six people
• three for seven or more people.

If your home is considered too large for your needs, the council will decide the maximum amount of rent that can be paid.

Help and advice

If you do not know how much housing benefit you will get, or you not sure you are getting the right amount, get advice from a welfare rights adviser. You can get advice from a Shelter advice centre, Citizens Advice bureau, your local council or another local advice centre.  Use our directory to find agencies in your area.

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