The amount of housing benefit that you get depends on your personal circumstances. Housing benefit does not usually cover all the rent you have to pay to your landlord.

The Housing Executive looks at your income, eligible rent and personal circumstances when working out your housing benefit. There are separate rules for single people under 25.

If you are renting privately, your housing benefit entitlement will also depend on the level of rent set by the Housing Executive for the type, size and location of a property you choose to rent.

• Income and capital
  
• My accommodation is very expensive
  
• My accommodation is too large
  
• My rent includes other charges
  
• Other people live with me
  

Income and capital

The amount of income and capital (savings and investments) you have, affects the amount of housing benefit you get. The more money you have, the less housing benefit you will get.

If you live with your partner, your income and capital will be assessed together to work out how much housing benefit you will get. This applies to civil partnerships, as well as same-sex relationships.

Income

The more income you have, the less housing benefit you get. The government sets the amount of money each year that it considers you need to live on. This is known as your 'applicable amount'. This amount varies depending on:

• how many people live in your home;
• your age;
• if you have any health problems.

If you earn more than your applicable amount your housing benefit is reduced. The more you earn above your applicable amount, the less housing benefit you will receive.

If you are on income support, jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance (income based) or pension credit (guarantee element), your housing benefit will not be reduced because of your income. Since November 2009, child benefit is disregarded as income for the purposes of calculating housing benefit. However, if you are receiving other benefits, you could get less housing benefit.

Capital

The Housing Executive counts the following as capital:

• cash;
• savings;
• shares;
• redundancy payments;
• any property/land you own that you are not living in.

If you have capital over £16,000, you won't get any housing benefit. Your housing benefit is reduced if you have capital between £6,000 and £16,000. If you are of pensionable age, you may be allowed to have up to £10,000 before any deductions are made.

Capital belonging to your partner also counts as your capital. Life insurance policies and the business assets of self­­-employed people are not capital.

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My accommodation is very expensive

The Housing Executive may reduce your housing benefit if it thinks your rent is too high. The acceptable rent levels are set for each property type depending on:

• the size;
• the location;
• the condition.

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My accommodation is too large

Your housing benefit can be reduced if the Housing Executive decides that your accommodation is too large for your household. The Housing Executive bases the decision on:

• how many rooms are in your property;
• the number of people who live there.

The local housing allowance rules were introduced in April 2008 for new private tenancies. The Housing Executive allows one bedroom for:

• a couple;
• a person aged over 16;
• two children aged under 16 of the same sex;
• two children aged under 7;
• one child.

If the Housing Executive decides that your accommodation is too large for your needs, your housing benefit will be reduced.

The Housing Executive will only pay the rent that is reasonable for accommodation which is suitable for the size for your household.

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My rent includes other charges

Your housing benefit will be reduced if your rent includes charges for:

• fuel;
• laundry service;
• meals.

The amount deducted from your housing benefit depends on your personal circumstances.

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Other people live with me

Your housing benefit is likely to be reduced if there is someone else living with you who:

• is older than 18;
• doesn't pay rent, but could be expected to pay part of the rent.

These people are known as 'non-dependants'. When there is a non-dependant living in a household, the Housing Executive assumes that the non-dependant is paying a part of the rent, even if this is incorrect.

The Housing Executive can deduct an amount from your housing benefit for each non-dependant in your home. The amount that is deducted depends on the income of the non-dependant.

Non-dependants include:

• adult children;
• relatives who live with you;
• friends who live with you.

However, in some exceptional circumstances deductions will not be made in respect of non-dependants. For instance, your housing benefit may not be reduced if the non-dependant is:

• aged under 25 and on income support;
• receiving a youth training allowance;
• a full-time student;
• in hospital for more than 6 weeks;
• in prison;
• living with you, but his/her main residence is elsewhere.

If you share a flat with someone but you have no personal relationship with the other people, they don't count as non-dependants.

The rules about housing benefit are complicated. Get advice if you think that you are not receiving enough housing benefit.

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