This is a general guide as people have different circumstances, so please contact us if you need more detailed advice about your personal circumstances.
How to contact the Benefits Section
Can students claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit?
Most full-time students cannot claim Housing Benefit because the Government expects them to use other money like their grant, student loan or access funds to pay their rent.
The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Regulations tell us that a student is a person who is attending a course of study at an educational establishment.
Which students can claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit?
You might be able to claim if you:
- are a part-time student;
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are a student who is responsible for a child or young person (as part of a couple or on your own);
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are a single foster parent;
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are 60 or over;
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get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
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meet the conditions for the Disability Premium or Severe Disability Premium (these are allowances we use to work out benefit for people who meet certain conditions);
have not been able to work for 28 weeks;
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qualify for a disabled student's allowance because you are deaf;
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are under 19 and not in higher education;
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have a partner who is not a student (they need to claim, not you); or
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have to interrupt your course, with the approval of the college or university, due to illness or caring responsibilities.
If you are not sure whether you can claim, you can always contact us for advice.
Can students from abroad claim Housing Benefit?
If you come from outside Europe you will probably not be able to claim any Housing Benefit, even if you are in one of the groups of students who can.
It depends on the conditions under which you came into this country.
For any student from abroad we will need information about your immigration status before we can deal with your Housing Benefit claim.
If you are a student from Europe, you can only claim Housing Benefit if you fall into one of the categories of students who can. See the above section - 'Which students can claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit'.
Can student nurses claim Housing Benefit?
Students funded by the National Health Service can claim Housing Benefit under the same rules that apply to other students.
If you're not sure, phone for advice.
Can students who rent property from a university or college claim Housing Benefit?
Even if you fall into one of the groups of students who can claim Housing Benefit, you cannot claim if you live in a property owned by the university or college you go to.
For example, if you live in a hall of residence or flat that the university or college owns and rents to you, you can't claim Housing Benefit. However, you can claim if you stay on in your accommodation after your course has ended.
But, you might qualify if the university or college rents accommodation on a temporary basis from a council, housing association or private landlord, and you are in one of the categories of students who can claim Housing Benefit.
You can always ring and check with us.
I have to maintain two homes – one at college and one at home. Can I claim Housing Benefit?
You may be able to claim Housing Benefit but it depends on your circumstances. You should check with us so just phone for advice.
If I am a student who can claim Housing Benefit, how much will I get?
How much you will get varies, depending on your income.
We work out your income as if you get the full amount of student loan available to you, even if you don't actually receive it all.
But we do ignore the first £10 a week of this money.
Students who get a bursary for nursing or midwifery diploma courses cannot get a student loan so we don't have to count any loan income.
For non-diploma nursing students we count any grant and the full amount of loan income in the same way that we do for students in general.
The rules for working out Housing Benefit for students are complicated. If you have any questions, you can always phone us for advice.
How do I claim benefit?
Just fill in one of our claim forms. You can get one from us or download one using the link at the bottom of this page.
What proof do I need to give you?
As well as your fully filled-in claim form, we need the following things to assess your claim.
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A copy of your financial assessment
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Proof of all other income and savings
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Full details of your course, including term dates and which year you are in
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Proof of your rent
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Proof of your identity and National Insurance number
The application form tells you what we need, but if we need more information we'll write to you and ask you for it.
I live in a property with other students. Will we have to pay Council Tax?
No, you won't normally have to pay Council Tax.
If you live in a property that only students live in, you can claim an exemption from Council Tax.
To do this, everyone in the property must provide their student certificates to the Council Tax office.
If the Council Tax office doesn't`t get certificates for everyone in the property, they will issue a Council Tax bill.
I live in a hall of residence. Will I have to pay Council Tax?
No, you won't normally have to pay Council Tax.
If you are a student living in a hall of residence, the property is exempt from Council Tax so you don't need to claim an exemption.
I share my accommodation with other people who are not all students. Will I have to pay Council Tax?
Yes, you might have to pay Council Tax.
The rules about who is responsible for Council Tax are complicated where full-time students and non-students share accommodation.
If you're a student living with other people who are not all students, you will be jointly liable for the Council Tax bill with all the other people in the household.
The non-students in the household can claim benefits based on their income.
But you can only claim Council Tax Benefit if you fall into one of the groups of students who can claim benefit. See the section above - 'Which students can claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit'.
I'm a student from abroad and my partner is living with me. Do we have to pay Council Tax?
You may or may not have to pay Council Tax.
You might be able to claim a full exemption from Council Tax.
To qualify for this exemption your partner must be prevented from working or claiming benefits in this country.
The Council Tax office will want to see your student certificate and both passports.
If you are not sure, you can contact us for advice.
What can I do if I don't agree with your decision?
If you don't agree with our decision, you can ask us to look at it again. Our letters tell you what your rights are.
More details are on the page 'What to do if you disagree with a Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit decision' - What to do if you disagree with a Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit decision
Where can I get help?
You can always contact us for help and advice.
Or, you could contact your University or College. They might have an Advice Centre where you can get help.
Or, you could contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Welfare Rights Service. Details are in your local phone book.
What if I want to comment on your service?
You should get in touch with us. We would like to know what you think about these pages or about the service we provide to you.
How to contact the Benefits Section.
