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Contact the Benefits team using the online contact form
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much benefit could I get?,
- What happens if I am under 25?,
- What happens if I live with a close relative and they charge me rent?,
- What happens if I rent a flat from a close relative that does not live with me?,
- What income do you take account of?,
- What should I do if my circumstances change?,
- Can I claim backdated benefit?,
- What happens if I need to go away from my home?,
- Going into hospital,
- Fleeing domestic violence,
- Going into prison.
How much benefit could I get?
Benefit calculator
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:
- the amount of rent or Council Tax you pay,
- whether you are single,
- whether you have children,
- whether you are over 60,or
- whether you have a disability
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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.
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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;
- a parent, step parent or parent in law,
- a brother or sister,
- a son or daughter,
- a son in law or daughter in law,
- a step son or step daughter, or
- a partner of any of the previously mentioned people.
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What happens if I rent a flat from a close relative that does not live with me?
If the relative from whom you rent the flat does not live there it is you who can claim Housing Benefit provided that the tenancy is let on a commercial basis.
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What income do you take account of?
We take account of the following income;
- All your earnings less tax, National Insurance and half of any pension contributions you make.
- Your earnings include commission, bonuses, tips, overtime and part-time earnings.
- Working Family Tax Credit, Disabled Persons Tax Credit, Sickness benefit, Job Seeker’s Allowance (contribution based), State Pensions and benefits and pensions from past employers.
- Maintenance payments, rent from sub-tenants and any other income.
- If you have savings between £3000 and £16000 we have to add £1 a week to the income we use to work out your benefit for each £250 (or part of £250) of savings over £3000. For example, if you have £3001 we will add £1 a week.
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What should I do if my circumstances change?
You must tell us immediately if any of your circumstances change. This may include;
- if you start or stop getting Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance;
- your income changes;
- someone moves in or out of your home; or
- the circumstances of anyone living with you change,
- When does my benefit start?
- 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 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 Babergh District. We will not disclose your refuge address to anyone.
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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.
Need Debt Advice?
If you require further information please contact:
Benefits Section
Babergh District Council
Corks Lane
Hadleigh
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP7 6SJ
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