Help with rent
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Help with rent
If you are on a low income, you may be entitled to help with your rent or council tax.
If you think you need help with your rent or council tax, you can download and complete an application form or you can contact our Benefits team and ask for an application form to be sent to you.
If you need help with your rent, and you are not of pension age, you will need to claim for Universal Credit rather than Housing Benefit. There are certain types of accommodation where we can still pay Housing Benefit. This is called specified exempt accommodation. This is where the landlord provides support for you. Please contact us if you think you are in this type of accommodation for more advice.
Housing Benefit can only be backdated one month for working aged people if you can provide continuous good cause why you did not claim earlier. Housing Benefit for people of pension age (66 and above) can be paid for the three months prior to your claim, providing you supply us with your income and capital during this time. Please remember that any delay in claiming will mean that you may lose out on benefit to which you are entitled.
Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit)
Housing Benefit in the private rented sector changed from 7 April 2008 to Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
LHA will only apply for private rented accommodation for new claims or claims where there has been a change of address. Social housing is not included in the rules for LHA. The amount of Housing Benefit payable will be determined based on the size of the family and the locality they are in. The Tewkesbury Borough Council area is covered by the Cheltenham and Gloucester LHA areas.