How much Housing Benefit will you get?

To work out your Housing Benefit we consider:

• the money you and your partner receive including earnings, certain benefits, tax credits and occupational pensions
• you and your partner's savings
• your age and the age of your family members
• the size of your family and whether you or any member of your family is disabled
• whether anyone who lives with you could help with the rent and Council Tax
• the reasonable rent of your home if you rent from a private landlord

An independent Rent Officer will decide the reasonable rent of your home. This may not be the same as your full rent on the tenancy agreement.

The exact amount of Housing Benefit can only be worked out after considering the circumstances of the individual claim.

To get an estimate of your Housing Benefit use our online Benefit calculator.

Who is the independent Rent Officer?

The Rent Service (TRS) is an agency of the Department of Work and Pensions. It provides evaluations for local authorities in England that are used in the assessment of claims for Housing Benefit when the tenant is renting from a private landlord.

How does the Rent Officer make a determination?

The Rent Officer will consider the following:

• the level of rent
• the rent for similar properties in the area
• the number of rooms
• the age and number of people living within the property being assessed

The decision will apply for 12 months unless there is a significant change to the property or the number of people living at the property.

Can the Rent Officer make a pre-tenancy determination?

Yes. If you are claiming housing benefit and are planning to rent from a private landlord you can ask The Rent Service to make a valuation before you sign the tenancy agreement.

To find out more information then visit The Rent Service website.

Page last reviewed 13 Feb 2008