What you can claim for
- Council Tax Reduction for Council Tax on your home.
- Housing Benefit for pensioners, temporary accommodation or supported accommodation where you have to pay rent to a private landlord or Housing Association or a Council home.
From 18 October 2017 - Universal Credit
All postcodes within the Oxford City Council boundary now fall under the full service of Universal Credit.
If you live in Oxford and want to make a new claim for Housing Benefit you will need to claim universal credit instead to help with your housing costs unless:
- You have reached state pension age.
- You are receiving support from/on behalf of your landlord as part of your tenancy. Please discuss this with your support worker.
- You are in receipt of Housing Benefit already. You will remain on Housing Benefit until you have a change in circumstances that requires a new claim for JSA(IB), ESA (IR), Tax credits* or Housing Benefit at another local authority. Some examples are losing a job, becoming sick, becoming fit for work after illness, having a first child, moving into work from unemployment or moving out of the local authority area.
*If you are getting Child Tax Credit becoming entitled to Working Tax Credit does not count as a new claim
You still need to claim Council Tax Reduction from Oxford City Council. Please complete your application as soon as possible and tell us what your income is whilst you are awaiting a decision on your Universal Credit application.
Please see our universal credit pages for more details.
When to apply
- You should claim as soon as possible or you may lose benefit.
- You can apply up to 13 weeks in advance.
Apply online
Important note: Please make sure you live within the Oxford City Council area before applying. Check on GOV.UK which council provides your services.
This form is for new claims only. Please do not complete this form if you are already receiving Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.
- Use our online claim form to fast track your claim.
- Once you have completed the form you will be informed of the information we need
- This can be handed into us or sent via email
The start date of your claim will normally be the Monday after we receive your form. You can save your claim and go back to it to complete it later, but in order for your claim date to be honoured you will need to submit it to us within 14 days of the date that you first started the form or the start date of your claim may be affected.
Apply for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction
If you have any problems with the form please contact us.
