Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you:

• have reached State Pension age, or
• live in supported accommodation, or
• live in temporary accommodation

Most working-age people cannot make a new Housing Benefit claim.

You may need to claim Universal Credit instead

If you are of working age and do not currently receive Housing Benefit from Bradford Council, you will usually need to claim Universal Credit to help with your rent.

Apply for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction

Apply for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction now

What are Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction?

Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit helps you pay your rent.

Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction helps your pay your Council Tax bill.

Who can get help?

When we assess your claim, we look at:

• your household income
• any savings, investments or property you own
• your personal circumstances, including:
  • your age
  • who lives with you
  • whether anyone in your household has a disability

How much Housing Benefit you could get

The amount you receive depends on your circumstances.

You can use an online benefits calculator to check what support you may be entitled to and to see how changes in your circumstances, such as starting work, might affect your benefits.

Find benefits calculators on GOV.UK.

How much Council Tax Reduction you could get

The Council Tax Reduction scheme changed on 1 April 2018.

If you are a pensioner

You may be able to receive up to 100% Council Tax Reduction, depending on your circumstances.

If you are of working age

The maximum Council Tax Reduction available is 72.5% of the Council Tax charge for a Band A property.

This means you will usually need to pay at least 27.5% of your Council Tax bill yourself.

For full details, see the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) regulations (PDF, 2 Mb). We know this document is not fully accessible, and we will publish an accessible version as soon as possible.

How payments are made

Housing Benefit

Housing benefit is paid either:

• directly into your bank account by BACS, or
• by cheque

You can view Housing Benefit payment dates.

Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction is applied directly to your Council Tax bill as a discount.

Extra help with housing costs

If you are struggling to pay your rent, you may be able to get additional support through a Housing Payment.

Sending evidence for your claim

If you have applied for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, you can send supporting evidence online.

Only use this service to provide evidence for an existing claim.

If you want to make a new claim, use the application form instead.

You can find applications for other benefits on our benefits forms page.

You can send supporting evidence online.

Tell us if you will be away from home

If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction and expect to be away from your home for four weeks or more, you may need to tell us.

If you are staying in England, Scotland or Wales

Contact us before you leave if you expect to be away for more than 13 weeks.

If you are travelling outside England, Scotland or Wales

Contact us before you leave if you expect to be away for more than 4 weeks.

Tell us:

• where you are going
• why you are going
• how long you expect to be away

Important

If you do not tell us about a long absence, you may:

• be paid too much benefit and have to pay it back
• have your benefit stopped

If your Housing Benefit claim ends, you may not be able to make a new claim and may need to claim Universal Credit instead.

If you disagree with a decision

Housing Benefit

If you disagree with a Housing Benefit decision, you can ask us to review it.

You must write to us within one month of the date on your decision letter.

Your case will be reviewed by a council officer who was not involved in the original decision.

If you still disagree after the review, you can submit a formal appeal to the council. If their decision cannot be changed, they will forward your appeal to His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service for an independent decision to be made at a hearing which you may attend.

You can find out more about Housing Benefit appeals.

Council Tax Reduction

If you disagree with a Council Tax Reduction decision, you should write to us as soon as possible.

Your case will be reviewed by a council officer who was not involved in the original decision.

If you still disagree with the outcome, or you have not received a response within two calendar months, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for an independent decision to be made at a hearing which you may attend.