As of August 2025, Housing Benefit in England still helps certain claimants. You can get it if you’re of State Pension age or if you live in supported, sheltered, or temporary accommodation. Most working-age adults must claim Universal Credit now.
Your savings also play a big role. If you have more than £16,000 set aside, you normally can’t get Housing Benefit. The one exception is if you get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit.
Here’s what you need to do to qualify:
- You must pay rent.
- You need permanent rights to live in the UK.
- You have to meet the habitual residence criteria.
- You must stay within the set income limits.
How Benefit Amounts Are Worked Out
The amount of Housing Benefit you’re awarded depends on a few main factors. Your eligible rent (and service charges if they’re included) is the starting point. Then, the amount is adjusted according to your total household income, which includes other benefits, pensions, and any savings.
Some cuts may reduce what you get. For instance, the “Bedroom Tax” still applies. Your benefit is cut by 14% if you have one unused bedroom and by 25% if you have two or more.
For private tenants, the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) lids your weekly help, using regional rent data. This usually means you get the 30th percentile of rents in your area.
Current Challenges for England Residents
Even with ongoing support, residents in England are up against tough challenges. Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are still frozen, leaving LHA levels far below surging rents in most private markets.
Close to one million children in the UK face the risk of poverty because benefits simply do not keep pace. In England, parents living in high-cost areas, especially in London and the Southeast, still can’t cover their rent even when they are getting the full Housing Benefit.
Recent welfare changes, like tighter rules on deductions from Universal Credit, have brought only small help to families already stretched. The gap between what benefits cover and what rent costs keeps growing, especially in cities.