Benefits - your guide

If you are on a low income, you may be able to get Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance and Council Tax benefit to help cover your rent and council tax.

Housing Benefit can cover or pay towards your rent if you:

• Pay your rent to the council
• Pay your rent to a registered social landlord, such as East Midlands Housing Association
• Live in a hostel, caravan, mobile home or houseboat
• Pay a rent that has been registered as a "fair rent"
• Have a tenancy that began before 1989
• Live in accommodation where a large part of the rent is for board and attendance

Housing Benefit may also give you some extra money towards things you have to pay for, like children's play areas and the cleaning of communal areas.

Housing Benefit cannot help with day-to-day costs. If your rent includes things like food, water charges, personal laundry or heating (other than for communal areas), these parts will not be included.

Local Housing Allowance is Housing Benefit if you rent from a private landlord and make a new claim, have a break in your existing claim or move home in to privately rented accommodation.

Council Tax Benefit can cover or pay towards your council tax. It cannot help with water charges.

This website gives basic advice about Housing Benefit, LHA and Council Tax benefit. We want to make sure that you and your family get the right help, at the right time, in the right way.

If you have a question that is not answered on these pages, or if you just need more advice, please contact the Benefits Team.