Help with Housing Costs: Volume 2

This guide covers the UK rules about getting housing benefit towards social housing and private rent payments, and pension credit towards homeowners ground rent and service charges. It complements volume 1 which includes universal credit, council tax and rate rebates, appeal tribunals and the rules for migrants and recent arrivals. It is designed for easy use by local councils, social landlords, advisers, tribunal members, housing professionals and renters. This edition explains all the new rules for social housing renters and private renters starting from April 2023, including the annual uprating. It describes fully: - The basic qualifying conditions for housing benefit (HB) - Who can make a claim for HB following the national rollout of universal credit - How and when working age claims are transferred to universal credit - The rent and service charge payments HB meets for social renters - How the local housing allowance works for private renters - Which payments HB meets for people in supported housing and homeless temporary accommodation - Lettings to family members, 'contrived' tenancies and non-commercial agreements - The size criteria ('bedroom tax') and benefit cap, and who is exempt from these - Temporary absences and claims for HB on two homes - How income and capital are taken into account for pension age and working age claims - How to appeal a decision about housing benefit or request an internal review - The HB subsidy rules including temporary accommodation - Discretionary housing payments and direct payments of DWP benefits to landlords.