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If you are remanded in custody and have been renting your home before you went to prison, you may be able to get help with paying your rent for up to 52 weeks.
You will need to claim housing benefit to get help with your rent.
Who can get housing benefit?
Housing benefit is available to Housing Executive, housing association and private tenants. Don’t be confused if you are told you need to apply for Local housing allowance – this is just a different way of calculating housing benefit for certain tenants in the private rented sector.
Detailed information about housing benefit and local housing allowance is available in the Paying for a home section:
- Housing benefit information
- Local housing allowance information
Will I always get housing benefit?
You will not automatically get housing benefit just because you are placed on remand.
In order to be eligible for housing benefit, you will need to prove that you are responsible for paying rent for your home and that you intend to return to it after release. Your savings should not exceed £16,000.
Eligibility criteria for claiming housing benefit is fully explained in the housing benefit section.
While on remand, you can only claim housing benefit for up to 52 weeks. If your remand custody is expected to exceed this, you will not be able to get housing benefit.
How do I apply?
A housing adviser or resettlement officer within your prison should be able to help you make a housing benefit claim. Find out more in the housing benefit section.
If you think you may be eligible for housing benefit, claim as soon as you can. If you have been in receipt of housing benefit before you went to prison, don’t forget to notify the Housing Executive of the change of circumstances. Following a period on remand, you will need to notify the Housing Executive again if you are sentenced. Getting a sentence can change your right to claim housing benefit.
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