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What is housing benefit?

This content applies to Scotland only.

Housing laws vary between Scotland and England. This page applies to Scotland only. Get advice relating to England

Housing benefit is a benefit to help people pay their rent. This page explains more about what it is, what it covers and who can claim it.

What is housing benefit?

Housing benefit, or rent allowance as it is sometimes called, is paid by the council to help people pay their rent.

You could be:

a tenant of the council
a tenant of a housing association
a sharing owner (but you can only claim for the rent or occupancy payments).

It cannot be used to pay a mortgage. If you have a mortgage and are eligible to claim benefits you may be able to get help to pay the interest.

If you rent from a private landlord, you will get local housing allowance instead of housing benefit.

What does housing benefit cover?

Housing benefit can cover:

your rent
some service charges, such as upkeep of communal areas or a caretaker.

It cannot cover:

charges for heating, hot water, lighting or cooking
payments for any food or meals provided.

Who can claim?

You may be able to claim housing benefit if you:

have a low income, or
are receiving welfare benefits.

If you think that you might be entitled to housing benefit you should submit a claim form.

The housing benefit department will let you know if you will be entitled to any help depending on your circumstances. See the page on how housing benefit is calculated.

When should I claim?

If you think that you might be entitled, you should claim as soon as possible. It would be best to do this by phone or in person, as a letter could get lost in the post. A claim form should be sent out to you for you to complete and return with all the necessary information to support your claim within one calendar month.

If you think that you might have been entitled at any time in the last year and you have a good reason for not having claimed earlier (for example, because you were ill), you may be able to get your benefit backdated.

When will I get the money?

Housing benefit should be paid from the Monday after you handed in your claim form. If you have to pay your rent on a daily basis (for example, if you live in a hostel or boarding house) or you are staying in temporary accommodation provided by the council because you are homeless, you may be able to get housing benefit paid from the first day you move in, so make sure you let the benefits department know this.

I am going to claim, can I stop paying rent?

Don't stop paying your rent unless you are confident that you will receive full housing benefit. You may not be entitled to housing benefit or you might only get help with part of the rent, leaving you to make up the rest.

Claims can take a long time to process and you could be left with huge rent arrears.

If possible, try to find out approximately how much help you might be entitled to when you hand in your form. If you rent from a council or a housing association, you should ask if they have a welfare rights officer who would be able to help you. You could contact a housing aid centre or Citizens Advice Bureau, your local council or other local advice centre. Use the Advice Services Directory to find agencies in your area.

If you are having difficulty paying your rent and you are not sure if you will be entitled to full housing benefit, try to keep making payments at a level you can afford, but be sure and tell your landlord that you have claimed housing benefit.