Apply for housing benefit

Housing Benefit helps you pay your rent if you're on a low income. 

You don’t need to apply for Housing benefit if you can get Universal Credit, as this includes money for your rent. 

You can:

• enter your postcode (Citizens Advice) to find out if you can apply for Universal Credit
• apply for Universal Credit if you're eligible

Who’s eligible for Housing benefit

You can only usually claim housing benefit if:

• you're of state pension age
• you live in supported accommodation
• you live in temporary accommodation

Otherwise, you’ll need to claim Universal Credit for help with your rent. 

If you’re not eligible for Universal Credit

If you're not eligible for Universal Credit, you can apply for Housing Benefit online.

Apply for Housing Benefit

You can apply for a Council Tax reduction in the same online form.

You must submit your application online. If you are unable to do this, please contact 0208 770 5000 to discuss your options with customer services.

What you'll need to provide 

You can send us the evidence to support your claim by uploading photographs or scanned copies of documents.