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Claiming Housing Benefit

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There are a number of conditions that must be met before we can consider paying Housing Benefit.

Important information

Do you have a tenant aged 25 to 34 who lives alone or are you thinking of renting private accommodation to a tenant aged 25 to 34?

The government is making a change to the way Housing Benefit is calculated for single people aged 25 to 34, living alone and renting private accommodation.

Please read about this important change to Housing Benefit, which could affect your tenant from 1 January 2012.

  • We need an application form, signed by the tenant. You can get an application form by:
    • Downloading and printing a copy of the claim form
    • Telephoning our Contact Centre on 020 8430 2000
    • Visiting one of our Local Service Centres to pick up a claim form
  • Tenants must provide evidence confirming the information on the application form. We must see original documents, not photocopies.
  • We also need proof of things like the tenant's income and savings, and we also need proof of their rent and any service charges the rent includes.
  • The proof of rent we require will normally be the tenancy agreement and rent book.


Tenancy agreements should show:

  • The name and address of the tenant, landlord, and any agents
  • The amount and frequency of the rent
  • All service charges in the rent
  • The start date and length of the tenancy

If an application form is incomplete, or if we do not receive the proof we need, we cannot pay Housing Benefit.
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