What you need to know

What are benefits?

HB and CTB are administered by Local Authorities. For other benefits such as Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) and Income Support (IS) please go to the Direct Gov Website.

Housing Benefit

 

If you're on a low income, whether you're working or not, and need financial help towards paying your rent, you may be entitled to Housing Benefit. Housing Benefit can only be paid where there is a liability to pay rent, and cannot help towards any mortgage payments.

 

Find out more, including who is eligible and how to claim.

Council Tax Benefit

 

If you're on a low income, whether you're working or not, and have a council tax liability, you may be entitled to Council Tax Benefit to reduce the charge. Council Tax Benefit entitlement is always paid directly to your Council Tax Account.

 

Find out more, including who is eligible and how to claim.

Am I eligible to claim?

By using the  benefits online calculator you will get an approximate idea, based on the information you supply, of how much Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit you could receive.

Make sure that you have personal details such as weekly or monthly wages, rent payable etc to hand.  You can use the calculator to find out roughly how much benefit you could get.

Please note, this is only an estimate and there is a chance that actual benefits may vary when you make a claim.

You will need to complete a claim form and send it to the offices for an exact calculation. You should not delay in getting your completed form to the Council, or you could lose benefit.

 

You can use the Local Housing Allowance web site to determine what room level your household will require.

 

Who isn't eligible.

You can't usually get Housing Benefit if:

  • you have savings of over £16,000, unless you are getting the 'guarantee credit' of Pension Credit
  • you live in the home of a close relative
  • you're a full-time student (unless you're disabled or have children)
  • you're an asylum seeker or are sponsored to be in the UK
  • if you previously owned the home within the previous 5 years, where you are now liable to pay rent, unless you meet certain criteria.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive.

Change in circumstance

 

· Anyone in your home starts work

· Any of your children leave school or you stop receiving CB for them

. You move

· Anyone moves in or out of your home.

· Anyone in your home has a change in income or capital

· Any changes in your rent.

 

A partner has joined or left the household.

The customer should report the date a partner joins or leaves the household. If a partner is joining the household their full name, date of birth, national insurance number, previous address, income and capital details must be provided. Evidence of identity, income and capital must be supplied.

If the partner will be, or is in receipt of Job-Seekers Allowance or Income Support  the Department of Work and Pensions must be advised. The direct gov  website will give you further details regarding this.

Evidence in support of a change in your expenses.

A change in childcare costs should show the date and amount of the change. This can be a letter from the child , or complete our child care expenses form.

A change in private pension contributions should show the date and amount of the change. This can be a letter from the pension provider to show the new contribution.

 

An adult (not partner has joined, returned or left the household

 

If proof of the non-dependant's income and interest on capital is provided the deduction will be determined by their gross income. If no proof is provided the highest Non dependant table will be applied to the claim.

Change of address.

If the customer in receiving housing, and, or council tax benefit in the South Somerset District Council area a Change of address form must be completed and returned to us.  Proof of any changes must be supplied.

If the customer is receiving housing, and, or council tax benefit in another area and is moving to South Somerset District Council area a new application form must be completed.

 

We need written confirmation, after the customer has moved in, where they have completed an application form prior to their move.

You have to report any change to your circumstances to ensure you continue to receive the correct amount of housing and, or council tax benefit.

How will you pay me my benefit?

The easiest and quickest way to get your benefit is to have it paid into your bank or building society account (BACS). It gets there quicker and is cleared funds so you can take it out straight away.


If you have chosen to have your benefit paid to you the easiest and quickest way to get it is to have it paid straight into your bank/building society account.


  • Benefit reaches the account earlier
  • It is cleared funds and can be drawn out straight away
  • It is more convenient - it doesn't need a trip to the bank/building society.
  • cheques can get lost or delayed in the post - BACS payments are not lost or delayed.

 

If you want it paid into your bank you can either call 01935 462462 or you can complete the  Payment by BAC's form When you have filled in your details send the form to:

The Benefit Team
PO Box 3299
The Council Offices
Brympton Way
 Yeovil
BA20 2YP


 

We will write to tell you when we start making payment into your account.


 

You may prefer to have your benefit paid to your landlord. If you do you can request this on your application form.

Benefits - Overpayments

If we pay too much benefit we will normally ask you to repay all of the total overpaid.

What is an overpayment?

An overpayment happens when payments of  Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit have been made, to which you are subsequently not entitled.  The overpayment may result, for example, from a review of the initial determination, a reassessment, a change in circumstance or if the claim is being brought to an early end. If we have paid too much benefit we will write to you explaining why there is an overpayment, the period it covers, how we have calculated the overpayment and our intentions regarding its recovery. You will also be advised of your appeal rights if you disagree that you have been overpaid benefit.

Methods of Recovery

Overpayments may be recovered from the claimant, his appointee or agent or the person to whom benefit was paid.

Overpayments may be recovered in many ways for example:

  • By deduction from continuing housing benefit
  • Sending an invoice which may be pursued through civil proceedings
  • From arrears of housing benefit, which become payable while there is an outstanding overpayment.
  • By deduction from certain Social Security benefits
  • If you have moved to another local authority area, from Housing Benefit you are being paid in that area.
Overpayments of Council Tax Benefit (known as excess benefit) will be debited to your Council Tax Account and you will be sent a new bill, showing your revised instalments.

Read our Overpayments guide

Backdating

It may be possible for a benefit claim to start from an earlier date, this is known as backdating. A request for backdating must be in writing and include the date the customer wishes the claim to start and the reason for the delay in submitting the form. 'Good cause' must be shown for a delay in requesting backdating. The 'good cause' must have lasted throughout the period until a backdating request is received.

 

There are different backdating rules for claimants of working age and those who have reached the qualifying age for state pension credit.

 

Working Age Claimants

The maximum period a claim for Housing and or Council Tax Benefit can be backdated is 6 months.

 

Claimants who have reached the qualifying age for state pension credit

The maximum period Pension Credit age customers Housing and or Council Tax Benefit can be backdated is 3 months.

 

What does "Good Cause" mean?

Good cause usually falls into four categories:

(1) The customer was so ill or otherwise unable to make the claim and could not ask someone else to claim for them.

(2) The customer received incorrect advise from an official body or person.

(3) Good reason for the customer not believing they could claim, amounting to more than just not thinking or caring.

(4) External factors such as a postal strike by the General Post Office.

As well as 'good cause' the benefit unit takes some regard to all the circumstances (including the customers state of heath and the information which they might have obtained) that would have caused a person of their age and experience to act (or fail to act) as the customer did.

It is always the responsibility of the customer to prove 'good cause' and it is, therefore, essential that as much information as possible is provided when making a backdating request.

 

Each case is decided on its own merits; the benefits unit does not operate a blanket policy

Read our Backdated Claims guide



 

By using the online calculator benefits calculator you will get an approximate idea, based on the information you supply, of how much benefit you could claim.

You will need to complete a claim form and send it to the offices for an exact calculation. You should not delay in getting your completed form to the Council.

Make sure that you have personal details such as weekly or monthly wages, rent payable etc to hand.  You can use the calculator to find out roughly how much benefit you could get.

You can also use the Local Housing Allowance web site to determine what room level your household will require.

Please note, this is only an estimate and there is a chance that actual benefits may vary slightly when you make a claim.