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<\/p>\nMILLIONS can get help paying for their rent or mortgage through the "housing cost element" of Universal Credit.<\/p>\n
But not everyone on the benefit is eligible for support.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Here's everything you need to know about what the housing element is, who is eligible and how to apply.<\/p>\n
The housing cost element of Universal Credit can be used to pay for housing costs – that means anything like rent, ground rent and service charges.<\/p>\n
A service charge is usually paid for the upkeep of communal areas attached to a property.<\/p>\n
Council and private tenants can apply for the housing cost element, but you'll only get it if you are the person who pays the bills.<\/p>\n
When you make a new claim for Universal Credit your housing costs will usually be paid as part of your Universal Credit payment.<\/p>\n
You won't be eligible for payments if you live in a home that's owned by a close relative, like your parents, and neither can full-time students unless you are disabled or have children who rely on you.<\/p>\n
The payment is not a loan which means you won't have to pay it back.<\/p>\n
TRYING to work out how much Universal Credit you can get can be overwhelming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are so many different elements that can affect your claim that it makes the whole process even more complicated.<\/p>\n
There are a number of free calculators that you can use to help you get an estimate, such as\u00a0Gov.UK, Citizen's Advice,\u00a0MoneySavingExpert,\u00a0StepChange\u00a0and\u00a0Turn2Us.<\/p>\n
You will need:<\/p>\n
You need to make sure that the information is as accurate as possible so that you can get the truest estimate.<\/p>\n
If you already get Universal Credit, applying for housing payments can be done through your online journal.<\/p>\n
If you haven't yet made a claim and want to, you'll have to apply for Universal Credit first.<\/p>\n
You can apply for Universal Credit on the government website.<\/p>\n
You'll need an email address and must be able to verify your identity online.<\/p>\n
If you are applying for housing costs for a privately rented property as part of your Universal Credit claim, you will need to bring evidence of how much your rent is to your new claim interview. This could be:<\/p>\n
If you live in a socially rented property you won't need to bring this information to your new claim interview.<\/p>\n
Instead, you will enter details of your housing costs online, and the Department for Work and Pensions will contact your landlord to confirm that these are correct.<\/p>\n
If you need help applying for either housing payments or Universal Credit, there is a helpline on offer – 0800 328 5644.<\/p>\n
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<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n How much you will be entitled to depends on your circumstances, such as where you live and whether you're a private or council tenant.<\/p>\n Private tenant<\/strong><\/p>\n Your housing costs are calculated using the Local Housing Allowance – you can find out how much you can expect by using the LHA rates tool on the government website.<\/p>\n Universal Credit looks at average rents in your area and the number of rooms you need based on how many in your household depend on your benefits.<\/p>\n For example, if you are a single person under 35 and you don't have any dependant children then your payment will be based on how much it costs to rent a room in shared accommodation.<\/p>\n If you're a parent with one child, then your housing costs will be based on the average price of a two-bed home in your area.<\/p>\n If your home is larger than you need or too expensive then your payment might not cover your rent.<\/p>\n Council and housing association tenants<\/strong><\/p>\n Your housing costs element is calculated based on how much rent you already pay but also takes into account how many rooms you actually need.<\/p>\n So if your house has more bedrooms than you need then the amount of money you get might not cover your rent.<\/p>\n You're allowed one bedroom for each category below:<\/p>\n If you have any spare rooms in your house then how much help you're entitled to will reduce by:<\/p>\n Your housing payment will usually be reduced if you live with someone who is aged 21 or older and not your partner.<\/p>\n Your payment will not be reduced if you\u2019re any of the following:<\/p>\n It also will not be reduced if the person aged 21 or older is any of the following:<\/p>\n Homeowners will only be entitled to cash towards paying off the monthly interest payments as long as they aren't earning any income, for example, you've unexpectedly lost your job.<\/p>\n That includes couples, so if you're making a claim together, and one of you earns a wage then neither of you will qualify.<\/p>\n You will only be able to get help if you've been claiming Universal Credit for 39 weeks or more, with no breaks or earned income.<\/p>\n The amount you're entitled to will be based on the interest rate set by your lender applied to the outstanding amount you have on your mortgage, up to \u00a3200,000.<\/p>\n There will be a three-month waiting period and payments stop as soon as you start work again, even if you're only earning a small amount.<\/p>\n If you are rejected for help under Universal Credit, you can also\u00a0apply for a Support for Mortgage Interest Loan instead.<\/p>\n The Government will lend you money for your monthly mortgage payments but you will be charged interest.<\/p>\n For tenants, the housing cost element will be paid to you as part of your Universal Credit payment and will go straight into your bank account.<\/p>\n In special circumstances, you can request that the payment be made directly to your landlords although this isn't guaranteed.<\/p>\n For homeowners, the SMI is paid directly to your lender.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/f39e07df-2de2-42e2-ba15-f7ae9f7088df.jpg\")
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