Apply for Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you are unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It has been replaced by Universal Credit for working age people. You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if one of the following applies:
- You are a pensioner
- You live in temporary accommodation provided by Aberdeenshire Council
- You live in supported accommodation (where you receive care, support or supervision)
If you do not fall in to any of the above categories you need to claim Universal Credit.
For more information about Housing Benefit read our Frequently Asked Questions.
How it is calculated
Housing Benefit is means tested which means it is calculated taking into consideration your income, savings and investments. There’s no set amount and what you get will depend on whether you rent privately or from the council. If you pay for service charges these may not be covered by Housing Benefit.
If you rent from a private landlord, Housing Benefit is calculated using Local Housing Allowance. Find out more about Local Housing Allowance here.
Benefits calculator
Use a benefits calculator to check if you can get Housing Benefit before you apply.
How to apply
You can apply for Housing Benefit online.
View Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction privacy notice (PDF 47KB).