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Housing Benefit is a tax-free, income related, benefit awarded to you if you are responsible for paying rent and/or rates and satisfy the qualifying conditions. You do not have to have paid National Insurance Contributions to qualify.
There are four basic conditions:
- the customer must be habitually resident, and have recourse to public funds;
- the customer must occupy the dwelling as their home;
- the customer must be liable to pay rent and/or rates in respect of the dwelling; and
- the customer must either be entitled to Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based), Pension Credit or have a low income.
There are two methods:
(1)If you make a claim for Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based), you can claim Housing Benefit at the same time. Form HB1 for rent or F1 for rates can be obtained from your local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.
Both forms should be sent your local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office;
(2)If you have not claimed Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) or are already receiving it or has a low income, the Housing Benefit claim form should be sent direct to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive/Land & Property Services.
Those claiming Pension Credit will be invited to claim Housing Benefit by the Pension Service.
You can get a Housing Benefit claim form from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive/Land & Property Services.
In cases where you are liable to pay rent to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or rates to the Land & Property Services, benefit is paid by reducing the amount payable.
If rent is paid to a private landlord, then benefit will be paid by cheque to you or credited to your landlord's bank account.
There are no fixed benefit periods, the award of Housing Benefit will continue until a relevant change of circumstances ends the claim.
Depends on five things:
(1)amount of money coming in;
(2)amount of savings;
(3)personal circumstances (such as having children, being disabled, who else lives in the household);
(4)amount of rent charged;
(5)amount of rates payable.
Maximum entitlement is 100% of the eligible rent and rates. The amount may be less if:
- non-dependants are in the household; or
- the Northern Ireland Housing Executive determines that the rent is high or the accommodation is overlarge; or
- the Northern Ireland Housing Executive determines that the rent is higher than the general level of local rents for similar property in the locality; or
- the rent payable includes charges for non-accommodation items; or
- you are single and under 25 years of age and are not a tenant of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or a registered Housing Association. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive will make another decision based on the cost of a non self contained room (where the customer has shared use of kitchen and bathroom facilities) in the same area.
If you are thinking of renting a property from a private landlord, and intend to claim Housing Benefit to help pay the rent, you can apply for a Pre-Tenancy Determination. This will give you an idea of the amount of rent on which Housing Benefit is likely to be calculated.
If you do not understand or disagree with a decision, you can ask for an explanation and/or for the decision to be looked at again. You also have the right of appeal against certain decisions.
If you rent a property from a private landlord (excluding a Registered Housing Association) and there is a shortfall between the rent charged and the eligible rent you may apply to the NIHE for a Discretionary Hardship Payment. This can be paid if you need further assistance to meet housing costs. It is not an award of Housing Benefit and neither the amount or the duration of the payment can be guaranteed.
In certain circumstances people in full time work (ie 16 or more hours per week) may have up to £200 of their Child Care Charges (paid to a registered child minder or day nursery) offset against their earnings as an allowable expense when calculating entitlement to benefit.
Earnings can be reduced by up to £135.00 a week if you pay certain child care charges for one child of the qualifying age. Earnings can be reduced by up to £200.00 if you pay these charges for 2 or more children.
The qualifying age is from birth up to, but not including, the first Monday in the September following the child's 15th birthday. This is extended to the 16th birthday for children who are in receipt of DLA, are registered blind or have been taken of the blind register in the last 28 weeks.
Housing Benefit is a qualifying benefit for Funeral Payments.
- RR1 - Help with your rent
- RR2 - A guide to Housing Benefit.
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive/Land & Property Services also produce their own leaflets.
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