The Benefit Calculation
To calculate CTB the Council needs to know the makeup of
your family and the total income received before any stoppages.
To calculate HB the Council also needs to know the rental
payable and the makeup of the rent and the property you occupy.
To enable the efficient calculation of benefit entitlement the
Council needs information from you that has been verified. Failure
to ensure the accuracy of the information creates delay in the
system. We need to see original documents, photocopies cannot be
accepted.
The amount of benefit that you will be entitled to depends upon
how much your weekly income is and what your circumstances are, for
example, your age, the size of your family and whether anyone in
the house is elderly or disabled.
Once we have looked carefully at your income and your
circumstances, we then do a calculation.
Generally speaking, the higher your income is, then the less
your weekly benefit will be. In certain cases you will be able to
have all of your Rent and Council Tax paid. For example, if you are
in receipt of Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance (income
based), and you have no grown up people living with you other than
your partner, then you may qualify for full eligible Housing
Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Full Eligible Housing Benefit may
not be your full Rent.
If you pay rent to a Private Landlord who is not a Housing
Association then your rent may be restricted in the calculation of
your Housing Benefit. If the Rent Officer feels that your rent is
higher than similar rents in your area then your rent will be
restricted in the calculation of your Housing Benefit.