Housing Benefit for single people aged 25-34

The information below sets out the housing benefit rules for single people aged 25-34 who rent privately.

Q. I am a lone parent who is under 35. Will I be limited to the shared accommodation rate? 

A. No. These changes do not apply to lone parents, or to couples. They only apply to single claimants who live alone in private rented accommodation and who are under 35.

Q. I am a council or housing association tenant. Will I have to move to shared accommodation?

A. No. These changes only apply to accommodation rented from a private landlord. They do not apply to tenants of registered social landlords i.e. housing associations or Oxford City Council.

Q. I am a joint tenant in a shared house. Will this change affect me? 

A. No. If you are a joint tenant in a shared house living with non family members, you will probably already getting housing benefit at the shared accommodation rate. If so, you will not be affected by this change.

Q. I have been getting housing benefit at this address since before 7 April 2008. I have been told that my benefit will not be affected by the change. Is this right? 

A. If you claimed housing benefit before 7 April 2008, and you have not moved or had a break in your claim since that date, you will not be affected. 

Q. I was living in a one bedroom flat with my partner. We have split up and my partner left the property. Will I be affected by the change, and when will I be affected?  

A. If you do not have children and your partner has moved out, you will move onto the shared accommodation rate from the Monday after your partner leaves the property.

Q. I have health problems which mean that it is not practical for me to move to shared accommodation. Will this change apply to me?

A. It depends what benefits you are getting. Unless you get Attendance Allowance, the care component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle or high rate, or the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment, you will not be exempt from these changes, and will be moved on to the shared accommodation rate. 

We have no discretion to exempt people not getting these benefits on health grounds.

Q. I used to be in prison. I have heard that all former prisoners can get an exemption from this change. Is this correct? 

A. No. The exemption only applies to some former prisoners who are subject to a Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA), which brings together the police, probation and prison services to manage ex-offenders posing a serious risk of harm to the public. Former prisoners subject to a MAPPA Level 2 and MAPPA Level 3 will be eligible for the exemption.

The MAPPA exemption may only last for a fixed period, and may not last until your 35th birthday. Your probation officer will know if you are subject to a MAPPA agreement.

Q. Over ten years ago I spent three months in a specialist homeless hostel, which gave me support to move into independent accommodation. Will this change apply to me? 

A. No. The change will not apply to you. It does not matter how long ago you stayed in a specialist homeless hostel, as long as that stay was for three months or more and you were supported into your own independent accommodation.

Q. Several years ago I was made homeless, and was placed directly in self contained accommodation with floating support. I did not stay in a hostel with shared accommodation. Will this change apply to me?

A. Yes. You are not exempt from the change if you have been homeless unless you stayed in a specialist homeless hostel. The hostel must have provided non self contained accommodation, and board or shared kitchen facilities. If you moved straight to a self contained property, with or without support, you will only get the shared accommodation rate. 

Q. A few years ago I stayed in a private hostel which supported me to move into my own home. Will I still get the one bedroom rate of local housing allowance?

A. No. If you have spent time in a hostel, you will not be exempt from the shared accommodation rate unless the hostel was managed or owned by a registered housing association or charity, or it operated on a non commercial basis and was funded by national or local government. If you stayed in a private hostel which was run for profit, then you will not be exempt from this change. 

Q. Five years ago I spent two months in a specialist homeless hostel, and got support to move into my own home. Following a relationship breakdown last year, I found myself back in a different homeless hostel for another two months. Am I still eligible for the exemption?

A. Yes. You are eligible for the exemption. It does not matter that the three month period was spent in more than one hostel, that the three months were not continuous, or that there was a big gap between your stay in each hostel. As long as the combined stay in specialist homeless hostels is at least three months, you will not be affected by this change.   

Q. I was in a homeless hostel for over three months, and got support from the hostel to move into my own accommodation. Will the council automatically award me the exemption? 

A. No. You need to tell us that you have spent at least three months in a homeless hostel or hostels. We also need evidence which confirms the period of stay (or stays) and that you were offered and accepted support to resettle in the community. A letter from the hostel will normally be good enough, but we can give you a form for your former hostel to fill out. If you would like this, please call us on 01865 249811.

Q. I have previously spent time in a hostel for drug treatment. Do I qualify for the exemption? 

A. Maybe. As long as the hostel provided services to resettle homeless people in the community, and you accepted the hostel’s support to do this, you should qualify for exemption from the shared accommodation rate.

Q. I was homeless because of domestic violence and spent three months in a refuge. Am I exempt from the shared accommodation rate?

A. Maybe. If the refuge provided services to resettle homeless people in the community and you accepted the refuge’s support to do this, you should qualify for exemption from the shared accommodation rate.

Q. My rent is likely to be more than the housing benefit I will get when the change affects me. What should I do?

A.

• If you think you might be exempt from the shared accommodation rate changes, get advice. There are special rules and exceptions to some of the exempt categories, and you may need more advice. You can speak to one of our Customer Service advisers, Shelter, the Citizens Advice Bureau or an advice centre about this. You can find contact details for advice centres on our Advice Centres page or our Finding Education, Employment and Training pages.

• Find out what housing benefit can pay for. You can find local housing allowance rates on the Directgov website, or speak to one of our Customer Service advisers.

Oxford is one of the most expensive places for housing outside London. You may have to look for housing outside the city.

The cost of renting is cheaper in towns like Abingdon, Carterton, Didcot, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney, which pay local housing allowance at the same rate as Oxford. Housing also costs less in other parts of the county, like Banbury, Bicester, Chipping Norton or Kidlington.

If you can move outside Oxfordshire, the cost of renting will be even cheaper. We can advise you about local housing allowance rates for other areas.

• Look for shared accommodation. If you are looking for somewhere to live, good places to look include local newspapers and letting agents, Daily Information, shop windows and notice boards in supermarkets, community centres or in workplaces. Useful websites for finding accommodation include:

Daily Info website
Oxford Gumtree website
Spare Room website
Easy Roommate website
Rightmove website

Shelter may also be able to give you advice about finding accommodation.

• Make up the difference between your housing benefit and your rent out of your benefits, tax credits or wages. You may need advice from an advice centre to help you with budgeting and to decide if you can afford to do this. This option will probably not be affordable if you only get benefits like Jobseeker's Allowance for yourself.

• Find out about your education, employment or training options. If you don’t have to depend on housing benefit to pay your rent, you may have better housing choices. You can improve these if you find a job, get a better paid job, or get some training that will help you find work. Pick up a copy of our On Your FEET guide, see our Finding Education, Employment and Training pages, or speak to one of our Customer Service or Housing Needs advisers if you would like to know more.

• If you have a partner but are not living together, think about whether you would like to do this. You will need to tell us if you do this, and Jobcentre Plus or the Department for Work and Pensions if you get other benefits. Couples will be able to claim for one bedroom self-contained accommodation rather than shared accommodation, but both incomes will need to be taken into account for housing benefit, and your other benefits may also be affected. You may need advice from one of our Customer Services advisers or an advice centre.

• If you are thinking about renewing a tenancy agreement or moving, get advice from a Customer Service adviser, Shelter or an advice centre before you sign anything.

• Claim a Discretionary Housing Payment. We may be able to make a Discretionary Housing Payment if your housing benefit is reduced to the shared accommodation rate and you are still living in a one bedroom house or flat. We have limited funds for this, and it will not be a long term option, but we may be able to top your benefit up for a short period - especially if you only have a few months left on your tenancy or are nearly 35. You can speak to one of our Customer Services advisers about this.

• If you find it hard to pay your rent because your Housing Benefit is reduced, tell your landlord and get advice. If you get into rent arrears, you may be at risk of losing your home. If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, Housing Needs can give you more advice about your housing options.

Page last updated 25 April 2013