How we work out your benefits
We can only count your net or basic rent when calculating your housing benefit.
Many rents include services such as:
- water charges
- garages
- heating, lighting, hot water, fuel for cooking
- meals
- use of a laundry
- care and support.
We cannot usually pay housing benefit to cover these charges.
Council tenants
If you are a council tenant we use the actual rent figure, less certain services.
Housing Association tenants
Generally, we can use your full net rent when we work out your housing benefit. In some cases we will need to contact the Rent Service.
Private tenants
The rules for private tenants are more complicated. If you are a private tenant housing benefit may not cover the full amount of your rent. We ask the Rent Service to tell us:
- if your rent is too high
- what the average rent is for the area in which you live.
We use the rent figure given by the Rent Service to work out your housing benefit.
From April 2008 the Rent Service will be responsible for setting the levels of the local housing allowance for some private tenants.
The Rent Service is an independent organisation and is not part of the council. For more information see the 'associated' link.
If the amount of housing benefit we award you doesn't cover your full rent, you may be eligible for a Discretionary Housing Payment. For more information, see the 'see also' link.
Contact Details
- Contact name
- Council Tax & Housing Benefit
- Telephone
- 020 8726 7000
- Fax
- 020 8667 8440
- Croyhben@croydon.gov.uk
- Address
- Municipal Offices, Fell Road, Croydon, CR9 1BQ
