Arun

Housing benefit is paid by the council to help you pay your rent. You could be:

• Renting from the council (council houses)
• Renting from a housing association
• Renting from a private landlord

Housing benefit cannot be used to pay a mortgage. If you have a mortgage you may be able to get help with paying the interest from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Council tax benefit is paid by the council to help pay your council tax bill. This can be claimed by both tenants and homeowners.

Who can claim?

You cannot claim benefit if

• You have savings of £16,000 or more, unless you are getting guaranteed pension credit.

You cannot claim housing benefit if

• You rent your home from a close relative who lives in the same house

Most students and some people from abroad cannot claim. However, each case is different and you should ask us for advice.

Why not take a look at our online benefit calculator and see if you could claim?