15 March 2010We operate the Housing and Council Tax Benefit scheme on behalf of the government. The scheme is defined by legislation. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are help with rent and Council Tax for people on a low income. Housing Benefit is paid to people who pay rent. Council Tax Benefit is paid to people who pay Council Tax.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are means-tested benefits. In other words your income, savings and investments must be below a certain level for you to qualify. There are two types of Council Tax Benefit: Main Council Tax Benefit and Second Adult Rebate.
These pages are intended to give an indication of the rules and limitations that we have to use when calculating entitlement.
Important news for people who receive Child Benefit
From 2 November 2009, child benefit will not be counted as part of your income for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. If you don't already get help with your rent or Council Tax, you may now be able to. Call the Kent Benefits Partnership on 0845 345 0310 between 1pm and 5pm to find out.
Are you over 60?
If so, changes are happening in Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit that mean you may get more help. At the moment, the first £6,000 of your savings don't affect your benefit. From 2 November 2009 this is changing. The first £10,000 of your savings won't affect your benefit although the overall capital limit remains at £16,000.
If you don't already get help with your rent or Council Tax, you may now be able to. Call 0845 345 0310 between 1pm and 5pm to find out.
If you are getting Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you may get more help. You do not need to do anything - we will tell you if this is the case.
Do you need leaflets in another language?
The national benefit leaflets can be found at www.benefit-leaflets.org These leaflets can be downloaded/viewed in the following languages: Polish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Portugese, Punjabi, Somali, Urdu, Vietnamese and Welsh.
If you need help communicating with us or understanding details on our website, please contact us on 01732 227000 stating your language and telephone number.
