On this page:
- Who can claim
- How to claim
- How you're paid
- Backdating your claim
- Tell us about a change of circumstances
Who can claim
Most working age people can no longer claim Housing Benefit and should go to GOV.UK to apply for Universal Credit.
You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you are:
- pension age and a single person
- pension age and have a partner who is also of pension age
- working age and live in specified, or temporary accommodation
Specified accommodation
This includes:
- accommodation provided by a housing association, registered charity or voluntary organisation where you receive care, support or supervision
- domestic violence refuges
- local authority hostels
Temporary accommodation
This includes accommodation provided by us, or another provider of social housing in arrangement with us, to prevent a person being or becoming homeless.
Advice and guidance
- Get a Housing Benefit estimate using our Better Off Calculator
- Get advice from Citizen's Advice Camden
- Find a landlord who accepts benefits
How to claim
Evidence to support your claim
You'll need to provide evidence to support your Housing Benefit claim.
Upload scans or photos of your documents as part of your online application. This helps us to review your claim quicker.
We need different types of evidence depending on your circumstances. This could include proof of:
- your identity such as a passport or birth certificate
- your national insurance number
- who is living at the address
- your income and savings
If you cannot upload documents as part of your online application, you can send them by email within one month of submitting your claim. Email benefits@camden.gov.uk with your claim reference number as the subject. If you miss this deadline, we may decide that you are not entitled to Housing Benefit.
Overnight carer
Contact us if you, your partner or one of your children need an overnight carer and you receive a qualifying disability benefit. The calculation of your Housing Benefit may include an additional bedroom for that carer.
Make a claim
If you believe you can claim Housing Benefit, then complete the claim form.
You can save your form and return to it later. Take a note of the reference number and password that are displayed when you select ‘save’. If you provide your email address, we will send these details to you directly.
Start your Housing Benefit claim
For information about how data provided for claims is used, please see the Benefits Privacy Notice
Help with your claim
If you need help to complete this form online, you could ask a relative, friend or neighbour.
If you cannot go online, are vulnerable or have a disability you should contact us.
How you're paid
We will confirm in writing if your Housing Benefit claim is successful. This will tell you when you’ll get it and how often. GOV.UK has information about what you'll get.
Any entitlement to benefit will usually start from the first Monday after you submit your claim.
Council tenants
We will pay your Housing Benefit into your rent account. You will not receive the money directly.
Private tenants
We will usually pay your Housing Benefit into your bank or building society account. It is only paid to your landlord in specific circumstances, for example if you have rent arrears of at least 8 weeks.
You can also apply for Discretionary Housing Payments which is an extra payment to help to cover your housing costs. It will only be paid for a short period of time. Complete an application when we have told you how much Housing Benefit you will get.
Landlords
If you are a landlord and receive Housing Benefit payments directly, we will pay you:
- every 4 weeks in arrears
- directly into your bank account
If your tenant’s situation changes, they need to tell us immediately. If a tenant has left your property, you are responsible for telling us about a change of circumstances.
If changes are not reported, this can result in a benefit overpayment. If we are paying you directly, we will reduce the amount of Housing Benefit paid until we recover the total amount of overpayment. You cannot pass this on to your tenant.
View your payments
You can view your Housing Benefit payments in your Camden Account. If you haven't got one, it only takes a few minutes to register for an account.
Backdating your claim
If you want to receive Housing Benefit from before you made your claim, we may be able to backdate it.
Pension age or above
We can backdate a claim for up to 3 months if you request it. You do not have to have a reason for not claiming earlier.
Working age
We can backdate Housing Benefit for up to one month.
You must have a good reason for not claiming Housing Benefit during this time.
Claim backdated Housing Benefit
Tell us about a change of circumstances
You must tell us within one month if something has changed in your household. If you have a partner or an adult child living with you, this includes changes to their circumstances too.