Housing and Council Tax Benefit

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are Government schemes to help people on low incomes meet their rent and council tax bills. Housing and Council Tax Benefit are administered by Reading Borough Council.

Article		Description
	Housing Benefit	Means tested benefit to help with the cost of paying for rented accommodation
	Council Tax Benefit	A means tested benefit to help towards the cost of your Council Tax
	Will Housing Benefit cover all the Rent	Information on the level of housing benefit you can claim
	How to contact the Benefit Office	Different ways you can contact the Benefit Office, which deals with Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Second Adult Rebate and Discretinary Housing Payments
	Benefits for people aged 60 and over	Pension Credit is a new entitlement for people aged 60 and over
	Child Care Costs	Information about the effect of childcare costs on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
	Discretionary Housing Payments	Discretionary Housing Payments may be payable for some people who do not get full Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit
	Housing and Council Tax Benefit Appeals	If you think a decision regarding Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit is wrong you can ask for more information, and in some circumstances to appeal
	Housing Benefit and students	An explanation of the Housing Benefit rules relating to students
	Housing Benefit before you move in	In some circumstances Housing Benefit can be paid prior to the date someone actually moved in
	How is Housing Benefit paid?	Housing Benefit is a national benefit to help people on low incomes pay their rent
	Fraud Watch	What to do if you suspect that Benefit fraud is being committed
	How to claim Housing Benefit	Advice on how to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit
	Non dependants	Information about non dependants and their impact on Housing and Council Tax Benefit
	Overpaid Housing and Council Tax Benefit	Information about overpayments and how we recover the money
	People who are not entitled to Housing Benefit	Some groups are not eligible for Housing Benefit, even if you are not entitled to Housing Benefit you can, if liable, apply for Council Tax Benefit
	Reporting Changes	If you receive or have claimed Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit you must tell the Benefit Office about changes to your circumstances
	Temporary Absence From Home	Information about the rules relating to absences from your home
	Hospital Stays: Council Tax and Housing Benefits	Information about how a stay in hospital can affect your entitlement benefits.
	Backdating	Information about backdating benefit claim
	Local Housing Allowance	The new way of calculating and paying rent for Housing Benefit when you rent from a Private Landlord or Agency