New Benefit Claims

We want everyone who qualifies for housing and / or council tax benefit to apply for the help they’re entitled to. If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible, please contact us.

Please have the following details available when you contact us to make a claim for housing and council tax benefit:

• Your income details including your employers name and address
• National Insurance numbers for you and your partner, if applicable
• dates of birth of all household members
• tenancy start date, if applicable
• rent amounts and number of rooms, if applicable
• the income details for other household members
• your landlord details, if applicable
• if you’re a private tenant, your bank account details.

Housing Benefit Eligibility

To qualify, you must:

• live in Birmingham
• be liable for rent
• be actually residing in the property
• rent your home from a Private Landlord, Local Authority or Registered Social Landlord
• not have savings of more than £16,000, unless you have reached the qualifying age for state pension credit

You could also qualify if:

• you live in a mobile home or houseboat
• you are renting under a shared ownership scheme
• you are a boarder whose rent includes meals

How we will pay your housing benefit

• If you are a Local Authority tenant:

  • we will pay your Housing Benefit directly into your rent account

• If you are a tenant of a Registered Social Landlord:

  • you can choose how your Housing Benefit is paid

• If you are a private tenant:

  • you can choose how your Housing Benefit is paid

There are two situations where we must pay your housing benefit directly to your landlord:

• if you are in rent arrears of eight full weeks or more, or
• If deductions for rent arrears are being made from either your Income Support, income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

Our response times

We aim to assess all benefit claims within 14 working days, if not sooner. We can do this faster if you provide original proofs when you make your claim to us.

The time it takes us to process your claim depends on how straightforward it is. If we need to ask you for more information or proofs to support your claim, it could take longer than the times stated above.

How to get in touch

If you want to make a new claim, you can do this by:

Simply completing and submit the online form and providing the evidence as requested. Please allow 28 days before contacting us regarding the progress of your claim.

If you have any difficulties or would prefer to speak to someone about making your claim please call us on 464 7000 and we will advise you how to proceed with your claim.

Before you contact us, please read the verification guidance. This will tell you what information we will need you to provide when you make your claim.

Council Tax Benefit Eligibility

To qualify, you must:

• Live in Birmingham
• Be over 18 years of age
• Be liable for Council Tax
• Not have savings of more than £16,000, unless you have reached the qualifying age for state pension

How we will pay your Council Tax benefit

If you are entitled to Council Tax benefit it will be taken off the amount of Council Tax that you have to pay. An amended bill will be sent detailing how much you have been awarded in council tax benefit and how much you have left to pay.

Second adult rebate

If you do not qualify for Council Tax benefit, you may be entitled to second adult rebate.

You may be able to claim a second adult rebate if:

• You are a single person and
• You are living with another adult on a low income and
• They are not your partner and
• They are not liable to pay Council Tax.

There may be more than one ‘second adult’ in your household.

We calculate second adult rebate on the gross income of the second adult(s). We don’t take the liable person’s income or capital into account.

If you’re only entitled to second adult rebate, you can’t apply for a discretionary housing payment.

The person liable to pay the Council Tax should make the claim for second adult rebate and not the ‘second adult’. They will need to provide proof of their identity and we will need proof of all gross income for the second adult(s).

Our response times

We aim to assess all benefit claims within one calendar month of receiving them. We can do this faster – usually within 14 working days, if you can send original proofs when you hand in, electronically submit or post your claim to us.

The time it takes us to process your claim depends on how straightforward it is. If we need to ask you for more information or proofs to support your claim, it could take longer than the times stated above.

How to get in touch

If you want to make a new claim, you can do this by:

Simply completing and submit the online form and providing the evidence as requested. Please allow 28 days before contacting us regarding the progress of your claim.

If you have any difficulties or would prefer to speak to someone about making your claim please call us on 0121 464 7000 and we will advise you how to proceed with your claim.

Before you contact us, please read the verification guidance. This will tell you what information we will need you to provide when you make your claim.

Before we can pay you Housing or Council Tax benefit, we will need to see certain documents to support your claim. Please go to the verification guidance pages for more information.

If you haven’t made your claim for housing and / or council tax benefit on time, you can ask us to consider backdating it to when you first needed it. You can also ask us to do this if your circumstances have changed but you were unable to tell us straight away.

We will always give consideration to the effect that missing housing and / or council tax benefit would have in terms of creating hardship. Please go to the Backdating Your Benefit pages for more information.

What is it?

Local Housing Allowance Is money paid to people on a low income who rent their home from a private landlord to help them pay their rent.

How much will i get?

The full amount of LHA you can get is initially based on the number of people who live with you as part of your household. There are set maximum amounts for different sized accommodation. It is not therefore based on the actual rent you are being charged.

The number of bedrooms you need is based on the number, age and gender of people you have living with you. With effect from 01/04/2011 no more than 4 bedrooms can be counted when we assess your claim.

You are allowed one bedroom each for:

• A couple;
• Any other adult (age 16 or over);
• Any two children under the age of 10;
• Any two children of the same sex under the age of 16; and
• Any other child under the age of 16.
• Non resident carer or team of carers for overnight stays from 1st April 2011

The actual amount of help you get can be reduced if:

• The amount of money you have coming in is above a certain level
• You have other adults apart from your partner living in the household

LHA does not apply to people;

• Who rent their home from the council;
• Who rent their home from a registered social landlord or housing association;
• Whose tenancy started before 1989 or who have a registered fair rent;
• Who live in supported accommodation; or
• Who live in hostels, caravans and houseboats.

It may also not apply if your rent includes an amount for meals.

Links and attachments

There are a number of leaflets that explain the Local Housing Allowance in further detail.

• LHA Information for Claimants;
• Application for LHA Payment Direct to Your Landlord;
• Application for LHA Payment Direct to Your Landlord – Guidance notes;
• LHA Rates - February 2012;
• LHA Rates - Jan 2009 - February 2012;