Apply for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction
Planned maintenance
Please note that the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction form will be unavailable for a few hours each month for the remainder of 2025, due to planned maintenance. The next maintenance period is on Sunday 23 March 2025, from 10am to 4pm.
Housing Benefit (HB) helps towards the cost of rent. Council Tax Reduction (CTR) helps with the cost of Council Tax.
Claiming Housing Benefit (HB)
You cannot make a new claim for Housing Benefit (HB) in this area unless you are in one of the groups that can still make a claim. You must be either:
- Pensionable age
- Living in supported accommodation
In both cases your savings must be below £16,000.
If you cannot claim HB, you will need to claim Universal Credit (UC) for help with your rent.
Check if you can still claim Housing Benefit.
Claiming Council Tax Reduction (CTR)
To claim Council Tax Reduction (CTR) you must meet the following criteria:
- Be liable to pay council tax
- Have savings below:
- £6000 if you are working age
- £16000 if you are pensionable age
Claiming CTR if you have claimed or get Universal Credit (UC)
If you have recently claimed UC you will not need to make a claim for CTR. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tell us you have claimed UC and we can use this as your claim for CTR.
If you are already on UC and you are not getting CTR, you will need to make a claim as soon as possible.
For both HB and CTR claims
- If you can claim, apply as soon as possible. If you do not you may lose out on benefit
- If we contact you for more details, you must reply as soon as possible
- Please supply supporting proofs as soon as possible
- If you are a student or a person that has come from abroad, you may need to meet further criteria. Claiming HB or CTR for EU and EEA citizens
Before you fill in this form
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself at least five minutes to fill in the form.
Help with applying
If you need help completing the application form or need to arrange a visit because of illness or disability, please contact Benefit Services via their online enquiry form.
