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If you are on a low income or have difficulty meeting rental payments, you may be eligible to claim housing benefit. This applies to private tenants and those in social housing.

In this section you can find information on:

• how to apply for benefit
• how to calculate your benefit
  (find the amount of benefit you might be entitled to)
• how to make a benefit appeal
• reporting suspected benefit fraud

You can also see housing benefit advisors at the Council offices during opening hours (usual office hours are Mon - Thurs 8.30am - 5pm, Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm).

Local Housing Allowance

If you're a private tenant renting property or a room from a private landlord and you're on a low income - you may be able to get Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

Online benefits calculator

Use our online benefits calculator to give you a rough idea of the amount of benefit you might be entitled to.

Benefits Adviser Service

As part of DWP’s commitment to improving the access customers have to its services, the Department has developed the online Benefits Adviser service.  The Benefits Adviser provides customers with information and entitlement advice on 28 benefits, pensions and credits. By answering some straightforward questions about your circumstances, you can find out which benefits you may be entitled to and information on how to claim.

Contact the benefit service by:

Telephone on 0345 302 2313
Fax to 01491 823571
email to sodc.benefits@secure.capita.co.uk

Further information

The Council's council tax service is provided by its contractors, Capita Local Government Services.

The Council pays out benefits (or in the case of council tax benefit, credits the council tax account) and then reclaims most of it from the Government. All of the rules and regulations concerning housing benefit and council tax benefit are set by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).