Southampton City Council

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When should I claim?

You must claim as soon as you are aware that you may require assistance with paying your rent and/or council tax. If you do not have all the proofs necessary to support your claim, do not delay in making your application. You may lose benefit if you delay.

Entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit usually commences the Monday following the date you make your application and, in some cases, the Monday following the date you apply for Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance.

If you apply for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit before your rental liability and/or Council Tax liability begins you will need to confirm that you are living in the property for which you are claiming by completing an Occupation Confirmation form after you have moved in.

If you make a late application for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit and ask for a backdate, we will not be able to pay you for that period unless you can show good cause. Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit cannot be backdated more than 6 months before the date of claim.

In some cases you may be asked to provide further proofs and information to support your request for a backdate.

Benefit Application Form.

Temporary Absence - FAQ

1. Can I claim benefit if I am not living in my home?

Housing Benefit is normally only paid for the property you actually live in. However, there are exceptions which allow some people to continue claiming during periods of absence.

General Rule
You can continue claiming Housing Benefit for up to 13 weeks or up to 52 weeks depending on the reason for your absence. In either case the basic qualifying conditions below must always be met:

you must intend to return to live in the property after the absence ends

the property must not be sublet while you are away

your absence must not be likely to exceed 13 or 52 weeks from the start of the absence

2. What is the 13 week rule?

Housing Benefit can be paid for up to 13 weeks’ absence if:

you are in residential accommodation on a trial basis

you have been convicted and sentenced for a period of 13 weeks or less

you are on holiday or visiting friends for a period of 13 weeks or less

3. What is the 52 week rule?

Housing Benefit can be paid for up to 52 weeks’ absence if:

you are on remand

you are a hospital in-patient

you are undergoing medically approved convalescence

you are receiving medically approved care (e.g. you are attending a drug or alcohol rehabilitation scheme away from home)

you are providing medically approved care for someone

you have left your home through fear of violence


4. What information do Benefit Services need?

If you are receiving Housing Benefit and you know you are going to be absent you must inform Benefit Services or Gateway of

the period you are likely to be absent

the reason for your absence

a contact address and number where possible

You will also need to provide a statement to confirm that you will be returning and to confirm whether or not your home will be sublet. A form is available from Gateway in the Civic Centre or from your local housing office. Alternatively a form can be requested from the call centre.


5. What if my circumstances change?

If during the period of absence your circumstances change, you must inform Benefit Services or Gateway. Examples of changes that must be reported include:

a decision not to return to the property

a change in the reason for your temporary absence

an increase in your expected length of temporary absence

your date of return

Further to the above you must continue to report any changes that might affect your Housing Benefit entitlement.

Backdated Benefit FAQs

1. Claimants of working age - What date will my benefit start from?

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are paid from the Monday following receipt of an application form or the date that an application form was requested as long as it is provided within one month of the date of the request.

If you make a claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit over the telephone through Jobcentre Plus, the date of claim is the date that you contacted Jobcentre Plus.

If you receive Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income Based) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (Contributions Based), all benefits will have the same claim date.

2. What if I make a late claim?

If you have made a late claim we can backdate your benefit for up to 6 months before your claim was received, but you must have a good reason for your claim being late. Any request for a backdate must be made in writing and proofs may be asked for to support your request. Each case is looked at individually and your claim will be backdated if “good cause” is demonstrated.

3. Claimants of pensionable age - What date will my benefit start from?

If you or your partner have reached pensionable age or over and qualify for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit, your benefit will automatically be backdated for up to 3 months before the date that you made your claim provided that you have an entitlement for this period.

4. What if I make a late claim?

To enable us to backdate your benefit to 3 months before the date of claim you will need to provide proof of your income, savings and rent for this period.

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