How do I claim Housing Benefits?
You must fill in a claim form to get Housing Benefit. You can use the same form to claim Council Tax Benefit. You must return the form to us straight away, otherwise you may lose benefit. You can send any proofs we need later.
You can claim benefit by either:
- Filling in our claim form, which you can pick up from any of the Epping Forest District Council Offices.
- Calling into our office where you can get help filling in the form.
- Filling in form HCTB1, when you make a claim for Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Pension Credit.
This form will be in a claim pack when you claim one of these benefits.
This form counts as making a claim and will be used to work out the start date of your claim.
- Asking us to visit you if you are unwell or unable to leave the house.
- Getting independent advice and help from various agencies.
- Downloading, completing and returning the Housing Benefit form - click here to go to our forms page.
The claim form is quite long as we have to ask a lot of questions. This is to make sure we have the right information to give you the correct benefit entitlement.
When will my claim start from?
If you are already living in the property, your benefit will normally start on the Monday after you make a claim.
If you move to a new address, we can start your claim on the date that you move in provided we receive the claim form before you move in or within the same week (for benefit purposes, a week begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday).
If you get Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based), and you move in to a new address, your benefit will start on the date that you moved in provided that we receive a claim form within four weeks of that date.
When will my benefit end?
We will end your entitlement to benefit in the following circumstances:
- Moving out of the District, if you move within the District, we will suspend your claim until you tell us what your new circumstances are.
- Death of the claimant.
- Benefit entitlement reduced to nil by a change in circumstances.
- Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance ends and an extended payment of Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit is payable.
- Housing Benefit is paid on account (temporary) but you fail to respond to a request for further information after 28 days.
- Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit is suspended and you fail to respond to a request for information after 1 month
If at any time your claim is suspended or ended, we will tell you what we have done. You can appeal against our decision to end your claim if you disagree with it.