You can claim if you are a tenant and pay rent, even if you share the rent with someone else.
The amount of your rent we use when calculating benefit is the rent you pay if you rent from a registered Social landlord or High Peak Community Housing, or is determined by the Rent Officer Service if you rent from a Private Landlord, less deductions for items like heating, lighting, water rates and meals, if they are included. Your rent must also be reasonable. If your rent is higher than average, or your accommodation is too large for you, we will restrict the amount we use in our assessment. There are separate rules for single people under 25 years old who rent from private landlords.
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.
This is called the Pre-Tenancy Determination.
.**Please note: High Peak Borough Council is not responsible for the content of any external websites.