Who can claim Housing Benefit
You may be able to get Housing Benefit to help with the cost of renting a room or home in Edinburgh from the Council, a housing association, or a private landlord. You should apply online at the link below.
You can claim Housing Benefit if you
- have a low income, from benefits or work including self employment
- are moving from benefits into work
- have savings of less than £16,000.
You cannot usually claim Housing Benefit if you are claiming Universal Credit. You can find more information about who is eligible on the UK Government website.
You may still get Housing Benefit if your savings are more than £16,000 but you or your partner gets the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit.
You can read about how much Housing Benefit you might get before you use the calculator at the start of the form.
Making our decision
We will include the income and savings of your partner when we process your claim. We may also take into account the income of other people who live with you (also known as non-dependants).
If you are entitled to Housing Benefit, we will usually pay it from the Monday after receiving your claim.
Backdating your claim
Please note that from April 2016, the maximum we can backdate a benefit award will be one month from the date you request backdating.