We cannot give you any help towards water charges; heating charges and certain other charges such as those for washing your own clothes or cleaning your room or flat. You must pay these. If you have any other adults living with you, such as grown -up children, we may have to reduce the benefit we can pay you.
If you get Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (income based), we will give you enough benefit to pay all your rent less any amounts for charges we cannot pay (these are explained above). However, if your rent is too high, we have to reduce the amount we pay.
You will also get benefit for the full Council Tax bill (after discounts and any other reduction for disability) less any amounts for other adults living with you.
If you do not get Income Support or Job Seeker's Allowance (income based), the amount of benefit we can give you depends on the amount of income you have coming in every week, as well as other things like:
What happens if I am under 25?
If you are under 25 and you rent from a private landlord we have to base the amount of Housing Benefit that we can pay you on a 'single room rent'. The figure used to calculate the single room rent is provided to us by the rent Officer. We are obliged to use this figure even if you have a single room in a shared flat and pay a proportion of the rent on the whole accommodation.
What happens if I live with a close relative and they charge me rent?
If you live with one of the following people and they are also your Landlord you can not claim Housing Benefit.
What happens if I rent a flat from a close relative who does not live with me?
If the relative from who you rent the flat does not live there it is you can claim Housing Benefit provided that the tenancy is let on a commercial basis.
What income do you take account of?
We take account of the following income.
What should I do if my circumstances change?
You must tell us immediately if any of your circumstances change. This may include:
If you are already living in a property your benefit will normally start on the Monday after you make your claim.
If you move into a new address we can start your claim on the date that you move in provided we receive the claim form before you move in or within the same week (for benefit purposes a week begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday) If you are receiving income support, or JSA Income based, and you move into a new address your benefit will start on the date that you move in provided we receive a claim form within four weeks of that date.
Can I claim backdated benefit?
If you wish to claim backdated benefit you will have to show 'good cause' as to why you failed to claim earlier. Normally 'good cause' would require you to be incapacitated in some way such as being in hospital or suffering from severe mental distress. A form is available on our forms page
What happens if I need to go away from my home?
If you go away from your home for a week or more you
should contact us before you go. If you do not contact us your benefit
may stop and you may have to make a new claim on your return. If you contact
us first you are still entitled to receive Housing Benefit for up to 13
weeks.
If you return after 13 weeks have gone past we will not normally be able
to pay you any benefit for the time you were away even if you told us
before you left.
There are different rules for people who have to leave their home to go into hospital, or are fleeing domestic violence or are remand prisoners.
In all cases you must intend to return to the property within either 13 or 52 weeks and you must not charge somebody else rent for living in your accommodation whilst you are away.
Going into hospital
If you go into hospital we can pay your benefit for up to 52 weeks provided
that you are expected to return home within that time. However, the amount
of benefit that we can pay you may decrease if you are in hospital for
more than 6 weeks. You do not need to contact us before you go into hospital
to receive benefit for the time that you are in hospital. However, if
possible you should ask a friend, or relative, or a hospital social worker
to let us know where you are as soon as possible.
Fleeing domestic violence
It is possible for Housing Benefit to be paid for up to 52 weeks if you
have had to leave your home because of fear of domestic violence. If you
are in a women's refuge you should ask one of the workers to contact us,
if you feel unable to do so yourself, even if the refuge is not in the
Dover District. We will not disclose your refuge address to anyone.
Going into prison
If you are in prison as a remand prisoner you can still receive benefit
for up to 52 weeks. If during this time you are sentenced and committed
to prison your Housing Benefit will stop unless your sentence is for 13
weeks or less. You do not have to inform us before you go to prison to
receive benefits however you or a friend, or relative , or a prison social
worker should inform us of what has happened as soon as possible.
If the above questions do not cover your enquiry please contact us:
Housing Benefits Section
Dover District Council
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover
Kent
CT16 3PJ
Telephone number: (01304) 872199
E-mail: revenues@dover.gov.uk
