Q. What are Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit?

A. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are financial assistance for people on state benefits or low incomes to help pay their rents and/or Council Tax.

Q. How do I apply for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit?

A. You can get an application form from the Council or you can use form HCTB1 which you can get from the Jobcentre Plus when you apply for Job Seeker's Allowance or Income Support. If you apply for Pension Credit, you can get a form from the Pension Service. Whichever form you use you must complete it in full, sign, date and return to the Runnymede Civic Centre.

Q. What do I need to provide with the form?

A. Details of everything you have to provide are given on the application form. Most people will need to provide some evidence of identity, address, national insurance number, rent, earned income, savings/capital, benefits, allowances or pensions and any other income. Send the form to us as soon as possible, even if you haven’t been able to get everything we need. This will mean that there will be less chance of you losing benefit because of the delay. Send on the evidence as soon as you have it and if there is going to be a delay in getting it let us know. We will phone you or write to you anyway asking for any information/evidence needed that you do not provide with the form.

Q. Payments on account

A. The Council can make a payment on account if you have a good reason for not being able to provide all the information/evidence required at the time of your application. Let us know the circumstances and we will decide.

Q. When does the benefit start?

A. Benefits will normally be paid from the Monday after your application form is received. If your application form is received in the week your tenancy or Council Tax liability commences the relevant benefit(s) will be paid from that week.

Q. Can I have my benefit backdated?

A. It may be possible to backdate your benefits if you can show "good cause" (good reasons) why you did not claim earlier, for example, if you were in hospital and were unable to apply. Not knowing that you could claim benefits would not usually be good cause. There is a section on the application form for claiming backdated benefit(s) on which you can give reasons for not claiming earlier. If you are not sure if you have "good cause", ask for your benefit to be backdated, give your reasons, and provide evidence to support them, and we will decide.

Q. How will my benefits be paid?

A. If you rent from a private landlord your Housing Benefit (Rent Allowance) will be paid to you by cheque every two weeks in arrears; it will be paid 4 weeks in arrears if you ask the Council to pay the benefits directly to your landlord. If you are a council tenant your Housing Benefit (Rent Rebate) will be credited to your rent account. If we pay your Housing Benefit directly to your landlord or to your council rent account but it does not cover all the rent due, you will need to pay the extra amount yourself. Council Tax Benefit is credited to your Council Tax account and is paid to the end of the financial year, leaving you the balance to pay for the year (if any). The Council Tax Benefit will be shown on your Council Tax bill.

Q. For how long are benefits paid?

A. Benefits periods are not limited which means that benefits will be paid for as long as you are eligible to receive them. The Council is required to check a certain number of cases each year to make sure that claimants' circumstances have not changed. To do this, we will either write to you asking you to complete a short form or we will phone you or visit you at your home. If you do not co-operate, your benefits will be cancelled. It is very important that you tell us of any changes of circumstances immediately to prevent you from being underpaid or overpaid.

Q. How much can I have in savings, investments or capital?

A. If you have more than £16,000 in savings, investments or capital you will not be eligible for either Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. However, if you are on Pension Credit Guarantee then there is no upper limit.

Q. Can I apply if I live with and pay rent to a relative?

A. You will not be eligible for Housing Benefit if you live with a close relative. A close relative is defined as a parent, parent-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter, brother, sister, or the spouse of any of the preceding persons or, if that person is one of an unmarried couple, the other member of that couple. If you rent from a close relative but do not live with them, we will need to be sure that the agreement you have is a commercial tenancy.

Q. What if I have another adult living in my property who only pays me for their "keep"?

A. Adult children or other relatives or friends who live in households on a non-commercial basis are called "non-dependants". This does not include boarders, sub-tenants and joint occupiers. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are normally reduced by a specified amount deducted for each non-dependant (because it is assumed that they can contribute to the rent). The amount of the deduction from your benefit is based on the non-dependant's income. If you cannot give us the non-dependant's income the maximum deduction will be applied.

Q. What is Second Adult Rebate?

A. You can only qualify for Second Adult Rebate (2AR) if there is at least one other adult living in your property who is a non-dependant or a particular type of carer and who is not disregarded for Council Tax purposes. 2AR is an alternative to Council Tax Benefit. If you were not eligible for Council Tax Benefit you might be eligible for 2AR based on the second adult's income. The maximum 2AR that can be paid is 25% of your Council Tax liability for the year. In certain circumstances it might be better to receive 2AR than Council Tax Benefit. The Council will do a "better-buy" calculation to determine if this is the case.

Q. If I have to go into hospital will my benefits stop?

A. Usually, your benefits will be unaffected for up to 52 weeks. However, there are some exceptions to this so you should let us know as soon as you know when you are being admitted.

Q. Can I go on holiday and still receive my benefits?

A. Benefits can be paid for up to 13 weeks for temporary absences and in some circumstance up to 52 weeks, but you must intend to return to the property. Benefits will be stopped if you do not intend to return or if you decide not to return while you are absent or if the Council believes that you do not intend to return. You should inform us in advance of any expected periods of absence.

Q. Do I have a right of appeal if I disagree with the amount of benefit I get?

A. Yes, you can ask the Council to review its decision. After that review, if you still disagree, you can ask, in writing, for your case to be referred to an independent Appeals Tribunal run by the Department for Work and Pensions. There is a one month time limit on review or appeal so if you are in any doubt, contact us.

Q. What if I am getting benefits and my circumstances change?

A. You must let the Council know immediately, even if you think it will not affect your benefits. This is very important. You need to let us know within one month of any changes to your rent, income or household, for example, a rent rise, a pay rise or someone moving in or out. If you delay telling us and are paid too little, we might not be able to pay you for the lost time and you would lose out. If you delay you may be paid too much benefit which would have to be paid back. You might even commit an offence under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, for which you can be prosecuted, if the change would reduce or remove your benefit entitlement.

Q. What if I have been overpaid?

A. Overpayments of benefits are generally recovered. If you make the mistake that results in the overpayment, we will recover. If we make it, the overpayment may not be recovered unless you could have been expected to know that you were being overpaid. Housing Benefit overpayments can be recovered from ongoing HB entitlement, from credits on your housing rent account or by invoicing you for the amount owed. An overpayment of Council Tax Benefit is recovered from your Council Tax account. This will result in an increase in your outstanding Council Tax for which you will be billed.

Q. I am thinking of taking on a privately rented property. Can you tell me if the rent will be eligible for Housing Benefit?

A. Before taking on a privately rented property you can apply for a Pre-Tenancy Determination (PTD) – you can get a form from the Council. Once received, the form will be referred to the Rent Officer Service (ROS) which will look at the rent being charged, the location and size of the property, your family composition and the ages of any children. From that, they work out how much of the rent can be used for calculating Housing Benefit. The ROS will let you know directly of the outcome to allow you to make the decision on whether or not to rent the property. You can use the figure provided in the trial calculation program mentioned above.

Q. I have been offered a property on which I will pay rent and Council Tax which I cannot afford without help. How would I know if I am entitled to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and, if I am, how much would I get?

A. There is no easy answer to this as it will depend on your income and savings, how many people are in your family, the level of rent being charged and other factors specific to you. There is a trial calculation facility on the internet on this website and on a touch screen computer in the Runnymede Civic Centre. You can use this to get an indication of your HB and/or CTB entitlements. Please note that this is not a guarantee of entitlement. Entitlement can only be confirmed upon receipt of a completed application form together with supporting information and evidence.

Q. I am under 25 years old and have heard that there are special rules for people in my age bracket?

A. If you are under 25 and single, the rent assessed by the ROS will be based on special rules which may give you less benefit. These rules will not apply if you:

have a partner of the opposite sex,

receive Child Benefit for a child in your care,

have another adult living with you who does not pay rent, for example, a relative or a friend, or

you get certain disability benefits.

You should contact the Council to discuss your situation before you sign a tenancy agreement if you think your Housing Benefit will be affected under these rules.

Q. What if the eligible rent assessed by the Rent Officer Service is below the level of rent actually being charged?

A. The decision will be yours on whether or not you should rent the property as the council is only allowed to assess Housing Benefit entitlement on the rent set by the ROS.

Q. Can the Council give me anymore help if there is a shortfall between the rent set by the Rent Officer Service and the rent being charged?

A. You can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). See the answer to the next question. However, if you take on a property after a PTD has been given knowing that there would be a shortfall, it is very unlikely that a DHP would be granted.

Q. What is a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP)?

A. A DHP is an additional weekly payment to help you pay your rent or Council Tax and is made at the discretion of the Council. It is not a payment of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit. You can apply for a DHP on a form which you get from the Runnymede Civic Centre. A DHP is usually only paid when someone's financial circumstances change for the worse and they find themselves unable to meet their rental and Council Tax commitments. Unfortunately, the Council only has a fixed amount of money for DHPs each year and, when the money is spent, all DHPs stop, so this extra money is not guaranteed.

Q. Is someone available at the Runnymede Civic Centre to help people who are disabled or infirm or those who are unable to leave their homes?

A. The Council has Visiting Officers who will be happy to come to your home if you are housebound. Please call 01932 425427 if you require their assistance. Visiting Officers also hold Benefits Clinics at Day Centres around the borough. Also, if you are physically or mentally disabled, elderly or infirm and require assistance with your benefit application, you may make an appointment with a Benefits Adviser on 01932 425383/425399 to see them at the Runnymede Civic Centre. For more information please see the answer to the next question.

Q. Where can I get general advice and what times are your offices open?

A. You can obtain general advice on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit by calling into Runnymede Civic Centre, Station Road, Addlestone or by phoning 01932 425388.

The Housing and Finance Benefits Reception for Benefits callers is open at the following times:

Monday - Wednesday 8.30am to 5.00pm

Thursday 8.30am to 1.00pm

Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

The telephone service is open on the same days at the same times. Benefits Advisers hold appointments between 9.00am and 4.00pm Monday to Friday.

Visiting Officers hold appointments between 9.00am and 4.00pm Monday to Friday except when at the Day Centres, as follows:

Orchard Day Centre, Chertsey - alternate Wednesdays from 11.00am to 12.00pm*

Woodham and New Haw Day Centre, New Haw - alternate Wednesdays from 1.00pm to 2.00pm*

Manor Farm Day Centre, Egham - every Thursday from 11.00am to 12.00pm

Queen Elizabeth Day Centre, Englefield Green - alternate Thursdays from 1.00pm to 2.00pm*

*Dates can be obtained by calling the Visiting Officer number.