Benefit

You may be able to claim Housing Benefit to help to pay your rent, if you're unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It is being replaced by Universal Credit.

It does not cover costs for heating, electricity or other household bills.

Council or Housing Association tenants may also get help with some service charges.

If you get Housing Benefit, you may also be entitled to a Council Tax Reduction. You can apply for a Council Tax reduction at the same time you apply online for Housing Benefit.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if:

• you've reached State Pension age
• you live in supported, sheltered or temporary housing.
• You must pay rent for the property and it is your main home.

Otherwise, you should apply for Universal Credit if you need help with housing costs.

If you live in temporary, refuge, sheltered or supported housing

You may be able to make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you're living in:

• temporary accommodation, such as a B&B arranged by your council
• a refuge for domestic abuse survivors
• sheltered or supported housing which provides you with 'care, support or supervision'.

You can find out more about who can claim for Housing Benefit on the GOV.UK website.

If you've reached State Pension age

If you're single and you've reached State Pension age, you can make a new claim for Housing Benefit.

If you're in a mixed-age couple, where one of you has reached State Pension age and the other has not, you will need to claim Universal Credit until you both reach State Pension age.

If you've been getting Housing Benefit as a mixed-age couple since before 15 May 2019, this continues unless your situation changes.

You can check your State Pension age on the GOV.UK website.

If you are making a claim for Pension Credit

If you're eligible for Housing Benefit, you can apply at the same time you are applying for Pension Credit. 

Your Pension Service office will send your Housing Benefit claim form to us, if you apply for it at the same time. We will contact you if we need further details.

Find out more about Pension Credit on the GOV.UK website.

How much you get depends on:

• if you're a Council tenant, Housing Association tenant, or a private tenant
• how much rent you pay
• your household income including benefits, pensions and savings (over £6,000)
• your personal circumstances, for example, your partner, children or someone with a disability lives with you
• if anyone in your household is a non-dependant - they are over 18, not in full time education, they work or they claim benefits.
• how many rooms are in your home.

You can find out more about what Housing Benefit you'll get on the GOV.UK website.

Local Housing Allowance

If you're a private tenant, you could get help for some or all of your rent. This is called Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

The amount you get depends on the area you're living in, and the number of rooms you need.

The weekly Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates from April 2024 to March 2025 in Renfrewshire are:

• 1 bed shared accommodation £82.85
• 1 bedroom £92.05
• 2 bedrooms £120.82
• 3 bedrooms £138.08
• 4 bedrooms £253.15

You can find out more about Local Housing Allowance (LHA) on the MyGov.Scot website.

Check if you can get Housing Benefit before you apply by using the free benefit calculators on the GOV.UK website.

Information you need to tell us in your application

When you apply, you'll need to tell us:

• your national insurance number
• your nationality
• details of your partner, if you have one, and anyone else living within your household
• income from any work you do or any benefits or pension you receive
• any accounts, savings, investments or property you have
• details of your rent, like how much you pay, when you pay it and any other costs included
• details of the property you rent, like what type it is or how many rooms it has
• a bank or building society account to pay you the Housing Benefit.

You should make your claim as early as possible. It is important that you continue to pay your rent while we process your application.

Backdating your Housing Benefit claim

If you're of working age, Housing Benefit can only be backdated up to one month from the date of your application.

If you're of pension age, Housing Benefit can only be backdated up to 3 months from the date of your application.

We will take into account any factors that would have caused a person of your age, health and experience not to have claimed for it earlier.

You must show us:

• you had good reasons for not making your claim sooner
• these reasons cover the period you are asking us to pay from
• you would have qualified for Housing Benefit during this period.

If you had someone acting on your behalf during this period, we will make a decision based on their reasons for not making a claim sooner, not yours.

Depending on what you tell us we may ask for supporting evidence, such as a letter from your doctor if you are sick.

Before you start, you'll need to register for MyAccount through mygov.scot. If you've already registered, you don't need to do it again.

Apply online for Housing Benefit

Contact us online if you need help to apply or you'd like us to send you a paper form by post.

Our Advice Works team can also help you with applying for Housing Benefit.

If we need more information

We may ask you for more evidence to support your claim.

This could include:

• bills
• bank statements
• proof of your identity
• your income
• expenses like childcare
• proof you're a student.

How long it'll take

If your application is successful, we'll usually start paying Housing Benefit from the Monday after the day we receive your claim.

How we pay it

If you are a council tenant, we pay Housing Benefit directly into your rent account. This reduces the amount of rent you have to pay.

If you're a private tenant or a Housing Association tenant, we'll pay your Housing Benefit directly into your bank account.

Housing Benefit is paid at the end of each 4 weekly period.

We will continue to pay you Housing Benefit unless there are specific circumstances such as:

• you are 8 or more weeks behind in your rent
• we think you will have difficulty managing your finances
• we think that you will not pay your rent.

If your circumstances change

You must let us know if your circumstances change while you get Housing Benefit, to prevent you from receiving the wrong amount from us.

If you do not tell us about changes when you are receiving benefits or money from the Council, it could be considered fraud.

Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It's paid either once or twice a month. It is managed and paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

It replaces these benefits and tax credits:

• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credits
• Working Tax Credits

If you already claim one or more of these, you'll continue to get them unless you have a change in your circumstances and your benefits are re-assessed. 

In that case, you need to make a new claim for Universal Credit.

There are only some circumstances where you can apply for Housing Benefit.

You can find out more about Universal Credit on the GOV.UK website. 

The Understanding Universal Credit website will also help you understand what Universal Credit is, or you can watch these short videos abut Universal Credit on YouTube.

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you:

• are on a low income
• out of work
• cannot work.

To claim it you must:

• live in the UK
• be aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)
• be under State Pension age
• have £16,000 or less in income, savings and investments.

There are some circumstances where you could claim Universal Credit if you: 

• are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
• live with your partner
• are studying or in training
• are 16 or 17 in some circumstances
• have a disability or health condition.

See more details on who can apply for Universal Credit on the GOV.UK website.

How much Universal Credit you get depends on:

• your standard allowance
• if you get any extra payments, such as childcare or disability support
• any deductions you have to pay, such as paying back an advance, paying a bill, or other income you get
• how much you earn if you’re working.

See how much Universal Credit you could get on the GOV.UK website.

If you’re working, how much you earn may affect your payments. 

This includes if you or your partner and are employed or self employed.

See how your earnings affect your payments on the GOV.UK website.

You can use free benefits calculators to give you an estimate of what you could be entitled to.

It’s important that you make your claim as soon as you can. Your claim will only start from the date that you submit it.

If you’ve had a letter telling you to claim Universal Credit

Migration notice letter

If the letter has a deadline for you to claim Universal Credit, this is a ‘Migration Notice’.

This means that one or more of your benefits or tax credits will end in the next three months, and you need to move to Universal Credit before the deadline. 

Letter without a deadline

If the letter doesn’t have a deadline on it, but it say you’ll have to claim Universal Credit, you don’t have to move to Universal Credit unless you want to. 

However, you won’t be able to claim any of your old benefits once you move to Universal Credit. 

What to do next

If you get a Migration Notice or a letter to move to Universal Credit, contact our Advice Works team or Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau first. 

They can make sure make sure you continue to get financial support and check if you’ll be better off on Universal Credit before you claim, depending on your personal circumstances. 

What information you need before you apply

To apply, you will need:

• an account with a bank, building society or credit union
• an email address
• a mobile number
• internet access
• proof of your identity.

You’ll also need to provide information about:

• your housing, such as how much rent you pay
• your earnings if you work
• any disability or health condition that affects your work
• if you pay for childcare
• any savings and investments you have.

If you don’t have a bank or building society account

If you don’t have a bank or building society account, you can find more information about getting one here:

• choosing a bank account for your benefit payments (Money Helper website)
• fee-free basic bank accounts (Money Helper website)
• banks and the services they provide (Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance).

You can make a claim for Universal Credit on the GOV.UK website.

If you can’t make a claim online, you can call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 instead. Calls to this number are free.

You can also get help to make a claim:

• from our Advice Works team
• from Citizen’s Advice Scotland's Help to Claim support
• by calling the Universal Credit helpline - calls to this number are free.

If you do not have your own computer, tablet or smartphone, there are other places you can get online for free, including:

• free computer access at any library Renfrewshire
• at your local Jobcentre Plus office.

Once you’ve applied, you’ll get a username, password and 10 to 12 digit personal number, which you’ll need to manage your Universal Credit account in the future.

You can contact Universal Credit:

• through your GOV.UK online account
• by calling the Universal Credit helpline.

How you’re paid Universal Credit

You can get paid once or twice a month in Scotland. 

Your first payment

Your first payment usually takes around 5 weeks. If you need money while you wait for your first payment, you can apply for an advance.

Find out how to get an advance on your first payment on the GOV.UK website.

Paying your rent

If you have claimed for help with your rent, this will be part of your Universal Credit payment. 

You can ask for it to be paid directly to your landlord or paid to you.

If you choose to pay your landlord from your Universal Credit, the DWP will contact them to arrange to pay them directly.

It is your responsibility to make sure your rent is paid in full and on time. 

If your Universal Credit award includes your rent but does not cover the whole amount, you may be eligible for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with the shortfall.

Your monthly assessment period

The amount of Universal Credit you’re paid is calculated every month. This is called your monthly assessment period. You must report a change in your circumstances to make sure you get paid the right amount.

A change in circumstances could include starting or finishing a job, having a child, moving home, changes to your health or ability to work, or changing your personal details like your email or phone number.

How to report a change in circumstances on the GOV.UK website. 

Change how you’re paid

If you need help managing a single monthly payment, you can ask to change how you’re paid.

See how to change how you're paid on the GOV.UK website.

Your Claimant Commitment

Your Claimant Commitment is an agreement of your responsibilities as part of accepting your Universal Credit claim. 

When you apply for Universal Credit, you will be assigned with a Work Coach. How often you meet with your Work Coach will depend on your individual circumstances, and what you have agreed to within your Claimant Commitment.

Let your Work Coach know about any disabilities, caring responsibilities or childcare issues you have.

You must do everything you agree to in your commitment or your payment could be reduced or stopped. Your payments may be cut or stopped for a period of time. This is known as a sanction.

If you think that your Universal Credit has been sanctioned unfairly, you can contact our Advice Works team for advice. They may also be able to support you to dispute the sanction decision.

Find out more about your claimant commitment and sanctions on the GOV.UK website.

If you need help to set up your home, or you and your family have been hit by a crisis, you can apply for a Crisis Grant or Community Care Grant.

You may also be able to apply for a council tax reduction.