Extra money for your housing costs

Claiming benefits can seem quite complicated. The information in these pages is intended as a general guide. There are special rules for some people from abroad, for some students and for young people aged 16/17.  You should seek further advice from one of the organisations listed in the last sectionif you are in one of these groups.  

There will be significant changes to the benefits and tax credits system in general over the next few years, in particular the introduction of a new benefit, the universal credit.  This will replace income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, housing benefit, working tax credit and child tax credit. This will affect new claims from 2013 and existing claimants over a period from 2013 to 2018.

From April 2010 significant changes are being made which will affect older people. The pension age for women born after 5 April 1950 is gradually increasing from 60, so that by November 2018 it will be 65, the same as for men.  From December 2018 the age for both men and women will start to rise and reach 66 by October 2020. This will mean an increase in the lowest age at which men and women can claim pension credit and most other pension age benefits. There is also a corresponding rise in the maximum age that men and women can claim ‘working age’ benefits like income support. We refer to this age in the pack as the 'women’s pension age'.

For more information click on extra money for older people.

We have tried to include any relevant changes that we currently know about but check back regularly here for updates.

These pages tell you about the help available to meet housing costs. They are divided into three parts and tells you about the help you might get with paying your rent, help with mortgage and service charges and any help with council tax, whether you own or rent your home.