Claiming housing benefit if you're away from home

You can sometimes keep getting housing benefit if you're away from home for a short time.

How long you can claim for depends on why you're away and if you go outside of England, Scotland or Wales.

The rules are different if you get the universal credit housing element.

When you can claim housing benefit for up to 13 weeks

You can keep getting housing benefit for up to 13 weeks if the place you go to is in England, Scotland or Wales.   

You can be away for any reason but you must intend to return before 13 weeks.

Sentenced prisoners

You can usually get housing benefit if your sentence is less than 6 months, or less than 10 months if you could be released early on an electronic tag.

The council looks at your earliest release date to decide if you're likely to return home within 13 weeks.

When you can claim for up to 52 weeks

Sometimes, you can keep getting housing benefit for up to a year. 

Examples include if you are:

• in hospital or residential care

• bailed to stay at a different address

• a remand prisoner who has not been convicted or sentenced

• living away because of domestic abuse or fear of violence in your home

• caring for someone or looking after a child whose parent is in hospital

You must intend to return home within the year. The place where you stay needs to be in England, Scotland or Wales.

If you go abroad

You can usually get housing benefit for up to 4 weeks if you go abroad. 

Abroad means outside England, Scotland or Wales. Going to Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man counts as going abroad.

Abroad for longer than 4 weeks

Sometimes, you can get housing benefit for more than 4 weeks.

Death of a close relative

You can get housing benefit for up to 8 weeks if you have to go abroad because a close relative dies.

Close relatives include your partner and your or your partner's:

• children and step children

• parents and step parents

• brothers and sisters

Partners of your brothers, sisters and children also count.

The council decides if it reasonable for you to be away for more than 4 weeks, so contact them before you go.

Medical treatment or serving in the armed forces

You can get housing benefit for up to 26 weeks if you're abroad because you are:

• serving overseas in the British armed forces

• getting medical treatment or care

• with your partner or child who is getting medical treatment or care

• living away because of domestic abuse or fear of violence in your home

You should be likely to return within 26 weeks.

If household members are away for a short time

The amount of housing benefit you get depends on the number of people in your household.

You can usually claim for a partner or dependent child who is away for a short time in England, Scotland or Wales. They must plan to return home within 52 weeks.   

There is no limit on the time you can claim for if your child or step child is away with the armed forces. They must intend to return home when their service away ends.

You can usually claim for an adult household member who is away for a short time. The council looks at the reason they are away and when they plan to return.

Working out how long you'll be away

Your time away is counted from the day you leave your home and ends when you come back.

Returning to your home for at least 24 hours can be enough to end the period that counts as time away. 

If you leave your home again for a short time after you come back, you start a new period of time away.

Tell the council what is happening

Tell the housing benefit office:

• why you're going away

• when you'll return

Let them know if your plans change while you're away.  For example, if you'll be away for longer or you decide not to return.

If you do not report a change in your situation, you may get an overpayment. You have to pay this back.

If your housing benefit stops

Find out what to do if your housing benefit stops.