Housing Benefit for Under 25s

Applying for Housing Benefit and you're under 25?

You may want to take note of the information contained in this page

Thinking of renting a property from a private landlord and you need help with rental costs? You need to be aware of the following:-

Housing Benefit rules state that it should not pay for single people, under 25, to live in self-contained accommodation but only in a single bedroom with shared facilities. Therefore if you rent a self - contained flat your Housing Benefit award will be restricted to the Single Room Rent amount and you will have to top up the difference in the amount of benefit paid to the amount of rent charged by your landlord.

For example if you rented a property for £425.00 per month and you are under 25 and living alone in receipt of Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance (income based) the maximum Housing Benefit would be restricted to the Single Room Rent of about £300.00 per month therefore you would have to pay your landlord £125.00 per month out of your own income. If you were working HB would be restricted further dependant on your level of income.

There is a scheme whereby you could make a claim for Discretionary Housing Payment to help with your top up however this is a limited fund and your claim may not be successful. Please see our page on Discretionary Housing Benefit to see if you could make a claim.

If you are under 25 and fall into one of the following groups outlined you will not be subject to the Single Room Rent restriction

• if you are registered as disabled
• if you are responsible for a dependant
• if you are under 22 and subject to a care order - this can be provided by your social worker, as evidence will have to be provided regarding this order.

Your rent will still be referred to the Rent Service for a rent determination under normal Housing Benefit Regulations.

If you are living with someone else (other than a partner) any Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit they receive will be reduced by the level of income that you receive. If you are working a deduction will be made in line with set government figures and is based on your Gross Earnings (this is the figure before tax and national insurance deductions). If you are in receipt of IS/JSA (IB) there will be no deduction from the claimant's HB/CTB entitlement.