Benefit information

If you are on a low income or if you receive other welfare benefits, you may be entitled to housing benefit to help pay your rent.

Your Housing Officer or the housing benefit department of your local council will be able to give you information about claiming housing benefit and how much you may be entitled to.

Benefits calculator

People are missing out on benefits and tax credits worth more than £10 billion a year. The Directgov online benefits adviser can help make sure you get what is yours.

You can use the benefits adviser to:

  • check which benefits you may be able to get
  • get an estimate of the benefits, tax credits or pension that may be available
  • compare estimates if your situation changes.

Making a housing benefit claim

It is important to make a claim as soon as possible.

If the housing benefit department writes to you asking for more information about your claim, you must respond. If you don't, they may cancel your claim.

You must also respond quickly to any letters you receive after you start to receive housing benefit, to make sure your claim is not cancelled.

If you visit the housing benefit department to hand in a claim form or documents in connection with your claim, you should always ask for a receipt. You should also keep copies of any letters you write and make a note of any phone calls you make. Always ask for the name of the person you speak to.

Hammersmith&Fulham residents can make a Housing Benefit claim online by completing the H&F online application form.

Paying your rent

If you are waiting for your housing benefit claim to be assessed or are receiving housing benefit, it is still your legal responsibility to make sure your rent is paid in full. This means that if the rent is not paid (whether or not it is your fault) you will still owe us the missing rent. Please check that payments are being made and take action yourself if there is a problem, or contact your Housing Officer.

If housing benefit does not cover all of your rent, you are responsible for paying the difference.

Changes in your circumstances

You must tell the housing benefit department about any change in your circumstances, including:

  • changes in your household income, including the income of other adults living with you
  • when people join or leave your household
  • rent increases
  • if you are going away for more than a few weeks.

If you fail to report changes, your local council may pay you too much benefit (which you will have to pay back) and treat it as deliberate fraud.

Housing benefit is complicated so if you are not sure about any aspect of your claim, ask your Housing Officer.

Other benefits

To find out more about other benefits that you may be entitled to, you can:

More information

For more information about housing benefit contact your Housing Officer.