Claiming benefits

What is Housing and Council Tax Benefit?

Housing and Council Tax Benefits are national welfare benefits. The purpose of the Housing Benefit scheme is to help people on low incomes to pay their rent.

There are two forms of Council Tax Benefit, main council tax benefit helps people on low incomes to pay their council tax. For a small number of people, "Second Adult Rebate" is available. This is based on the gross income of other adults living in the household. Where you qualify for both main council tax benefit and second adult rebate you will be awarded whichever is the higher of the two.

Who can claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit?

There are six basic conditions:

You must normally be resident;
It must be your main home;
You must have a liability pay rent and/or council tax;
You must either be entitled to Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, Pension Credit, or have a low income.
You must provide your National Insurance Number for yourself and your partner and evidence that it is correct and belongs to each of you.
You also need to show us evidence of your identity and occupation of the accommodation that you are claiming benefit for.

It doesn't matter whether you are in work or not;
you can be employed or self employed;
you can get Housing Benefit even if you do not receive any other benefits;
you may be single or have a partner;
you may be in a civil partnership or living together as if in a civil partnership;
you may be a pensioner; and
you do not need to have paid any National Insurance contributions.

However if you are a full time student, unless you are disabled, deaf or have dependent children, you may not qualify.

You will not be entitled to Housing Benefit if you live in the same household as and pay rent to a close relative.

How to claim

Claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit couldn't be easier - contact us on 01622 602557 to make a claim. We can take all the personal and financial details over the phone and let you know whether you qualify for help with your rent or council tax. If you do qualify, an appointment will be made for you to come in and see a Benefit Officer. Your benefit will be decided while you wait and you will be given letters confirming your entitlement.

If you are making a new claim for Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or Incapacity Benefit through the Job Centre, they will take all the details we need for Housing / Council Tax Benefit and pass these details on to us - you do not need to make a separate claim with us.

How much could you get?

Depending upon your circumstances you could get help with all of your rent and council tax. More details can be found on How much benefit will you get?

Housing / Council Tax Benefit and Data Protection

Maidstone Borough Council takes its obligations under the Data Protection Legislation very seriously and will not disclose information to any unauthorised person. Information may be shared with other services within the Council or disclosed to other Local and Public Authorities or Government agencies that have a legitimate reason to request the disclosure. The Council is under a duty to protect the public funds that it administers and to this end, it may use the information that you have provided for the prevention and detection of crime and / or fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes. If you wish to know more about the uses to which the information may be put by the Council please contact the Assistant Director of Customer Services.

Contact us

By email: benefits@maidstone.gov.uk
By telephone: 01622 602557
By Post: Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6JQ
By fax: 01622 602107