A guide for private tenants
A private tenant is someone who pays rent for the home they live in to a landlord.
A landlord can be a:
- person
- housing association
- company
Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit is a benefit we pay to help people pay their rent.
It is a “means-tested benefit”- we check a person's financial situation to determine how much help they can get.
New claims for housing costs help for working age people will now be for Universal Credit.
Rate
The amount of Housing Benefit you will get will depend on:
- your income, savings and investments
- the number of people in your household
- the appropriate rate of Local Housing Allowance
Payments
We will generally pay benefit from the Monday after we receive your application form.
Claim housing benefit as soon as possible. It won't be paid from an earlier date unless there's a special reason.
If you miss the deadline, you must request backdating in writing and explain why you didn't apply on time. If you have a valid reason, we will consider backdating your benefit on a case-by-case basis.
You can't get Housing Benefit until you've moved into your new home, so you'll need to cover the rent yourself until then. However, there are exceptions, so it's worth asking the benefits team for assistance.
Vulnerable Adults
We will pay your housing benefit into your bank account every two weeks, after this time you can not choose to have it sent to your landlord anymore.
If we think you might not pay your rent or have trouble with money, we might pay it straight to your landlord instead.
If you think you can’t manage your money, you can ask us for help. You’ll need to fill out a form and give us proof. This helps us decide if we should call you ‘vulnerable’ and pay your rent straight to your landlord.
People who might be ‘vulnerable’ include:
- those with learning problems
- big money troubles
- physical disabilities
We look at each person’s case carefully before making a decision.
Claiming Housing Benefit
You, your partner, or someone acting for you must fill out the Housing Benefit application.
Return the completed form immediately to one of the following offices:
- The Benefit Section Neath Port Talbot CBC Civic Centre Neath SA11 3QZ
- The Benefit Section Neath Port Talbot CBC Civic Centre Port Talbot SA13 1PJ
If you need help with the form, you can call into any of the above offices and an officer will help you make your claim.
If you can’t come to us, contact the benefits team and we’ll arrange a home visit.
Proof to provide with the application form
You must provide supporting information and evidence with your claim. These must be original documents, not photocopies.
We will usually need to see:
- two pieces of evidence proving your identity
- one document that shows your National Insurance number (and your partner’s, if needed)
- proof of all your income
- proof of all your savings and investments
- proof of the income of anyone living with you who does not depend on you financially
The application form gives you details of what type of evidence we accept.
You should make your claim as soon as you can. If you do not have any of the supporting evidence when you make your claim, you can send it in later. We must receive this evidence within one calendar month of the date you made your claim.
If you do not provide the information we need to process your claim, there will be a delay in paying your benefit.
Savings and Capital
You must tell us about all your savings and investments.
Examples include:
- The money you have in a bank or building society account (even if your account is overdrawn)
- Land or property you own, other than the home you live in
- Stocks and shares
- Premium bonds
- National savings certificates
- ISA accounts
- Post Office accounts
This is not a full list, and is only meant to give examples of what you must tell us about.
Affect of savings and capital on benefit
your savings and investments won’t count. If you’re of pension age, the first £10,000 won’t count.
If you have more than £16,000 in savings or investments, you usually won’t qualify for benefits.
If you get Guarantee Credit from the Pension Service, the £16,000 savings limit doesn’t apply. You can still get benefits even if your savings are over this amount.
Some types of savings and investments don’t count when working out your benefits. For more details, contact the Benefits Section.
Change of circumstances
If you claim housing benefit and something in your life changes, you must write to tell us. Even if you tell the Department for Work and Pensions, you still need to tell the Housing Benefit team too.".
The following are examples of changes you must report-
- you stop or start to receive income support / job seekers allowance
- you stop or start work
- your household changes (for example, if someone moves in or out)
- you leave the property
- the amount of your savings and investments changes
- you have a change in income
- someone who lives with you (like a grown-up son or daughter) has a change in their money. This person is called a ‘non-dependant’.
This is not a full list. Lots of other changes in your life can also change your benefit. If something changes and you’re not sure, tell the Benefits team. We will check and let you know.
You must write to us about any changes. But you can call the Benefits team first to tell us what’s changed.
Local Housing Allowance
Starting from April 7, 2008, we will pay the Local Housing Allowance to anyone who:
- makes a new claim
- changes their address
- has a break in their Housing Benefit claim
The Local Housing Allowance used to calculate your benefit will depend on:
- your age
- the age and number of people in your household
The amount of Local Housing Allowance you get depends on how many bedrooms you and your family need.
One bedroom for:
- every adult couple
- any other adult over 16 years old
- any two children under 10 years old
- any two children of the same sex aged 10 to 15 years old
- any other child
If you're single and under 35, you’ll get the shared accommodation rate of Local Housing Allowance.
This rate also applies to single people or couples who choose to live in shared housing.
Example 1
A couple with a son of 8 and a daughter of 6 will require a two bedroom rate of Local Housing Allowance. One room for the couple and one room for the children as they are both under the age of ten.
Example 2
A single parent with a son of 11 and a daughter 14 will need a 3 room rate of Local Housing Allowance. One for the single parent, one for the son and one for the daughter as the children are over ten and the opposite sex.
Even if they only occupy a two bedroom house they will have their benefit entitlement based on a three bedroom rate of Local Housing Allowance.
Appeal
There is no right of appeal.
This is because, it might change how much money other people get, even if they are happy with their own allowance.
Local Housing Allowance is less than my rent
You have to pay the extra money if your housing benefit doesn’t cover all your rent.
Local Housing Allowance is higher than my rent
If your rent is less than the housing benefit rate, we will base your benefit on the rental amount.
Overpayment of Housing Benefit
An overpayment of Housing Benefit is when you are paid benefit which you are not entitled to. For example, if you don’t tell us about a change when it happens, we might keep giving you too much benefit until we are told.
If you still get Housing Benefit and got paid too much before, we will give you less each week until it’s all paid back. The government decides how much we can take each week, and this amount can change every year.
If you don’t get Housing Benefit anymore and you were paid too much, we will send you an invoice to pay back the extra money.
Payment
By post
You can send your cheque, made out to ‘Neath Port Talbot CBC’, to:
Director of Finance and Corporate Services
Neath Port Talbot CBC
Civic Centre
Neath
SA11 3QZ
Please write your reference number on the back of your cheque.
At a post office
If you want to pay at a post office, please contact the Overpayments Section on 01639 686839. They will give you a payment card which you will need to take to the post office when making a payment.
Online
If you have a debit card, you can make a payment online.
When paying, remember to have your bill with you as you will need your reference number.
By phone
You can use your debit card to pay at any time by calling 0161 622 6919. When paying, remember to have your bill with you as you will need your reference number.
By standing order
Please contact the Overpayments Section on 01639 686839 for a form.
By BACS
Companies and organisations can pay by BACS. Please contact the Overpayments Section on 01639 686839 for more details.
Cannot afford to pay
We can make an arrangement for you to pay back the overpayment in instalments.
If you want to pay the money back in small amounts, decide how much you can pay and call us on 01639 686839 to discuss it.
You can also write to us to make an offer for how you would like to pay. If we think your offer is reasonable, we may be able to agree the repayments immediately. If we cannot, we will ask you to fill in an income and spending form so that we can decide if we can accept your offer.
Other available help
You might get extra help if your housing benefit doesn’t cover all your rent.
A Discretionary Housing Payment is for:
- people who have serious financial problems
- have exceptional circumstances
- need extra help to pay their rent.
To apply for a discretionary payment, you need to fill out a form to show how much money you get and spend. Contact the Benefits Section for a questionnaire.
Contact us
Our opening hours are Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm, and Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm, unless otherwise stated.
Reception opening hours in Neath and Port Talbot Civic Centres are Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm.
