Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit is changing:
Waltham Forest Website Link: Changes affecting
Housing Benefit, Local Housing Allowance, and Council Tax
Benefit
Housing Benefit is a means tested Social Security Benefit that
is intended to help towards Housing costs for rented
accommodation. The amount of benefit you will get depends on
your income, savings and family circumstances including any other
people you live with. You can get an estimate of your Housing
Benefit/Council Tax Benefit by using the online benefits
Calculator:
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/benefits-calculator
If you think you may be entitled to Housing
Benefit and would like further advise please contact Ascham Homes
or alternatively please contact one of the following organisations
and ask them to send you a ‘Council Tax and Housing Benefit Claim
Form’.
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The Revenue and Benefits
Service
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221 Hoe Street
Walthamstow, E17 9PH
020 8496 3000
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Ascham Homes & Ascham
Direct
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Willow House
869 Forest Road, Walthamstow E17
4UH
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Waltham Forest Direct
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Chingford
265 Chingford
Mount Road, Chingford, E4 8LP
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Leyton
774-776 High Road, Leyton E10 6AE
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Walthamstow
137 Hoe Street, Walthamstow E17 4RT
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Leytonstone
819 High Road, Leytonstone E11 1HQ
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Opening hours:
- The Revenue and Benefits Service reception area is open from
8.30am until 4pm, Monday to Friday. It is accessible for
people in wheelchairs and a interpreter service can be
arranged.
- The Willow House Office is open between 9am and 5pm Monday to
Friday.
- The offices at Waltham Forest Direct are open between 8:30am
and 6pm Monday to Friday and from 9am and 1pm on Saturday. There
are no Housing Benefit Officers at the offices on Saturday but you
can still make general enquires and hand in evidence.
Apply online:
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/council/benefits.htm
and complete the
HB / CTB interactive claim form on the right hand side listed
under the title ‘Do it on-line”
Apply by telephone:
Telephone the Housing Benefits Office on 020
8496 8550 to make a claim for benefits or advise of a change in
your circumstances. This service is available Monday to Friday from
9am to 5pm.
Making the claim:
Please make sure when returning your form that
you enclose all the requested documents. If you cannot provide all
the information straight away please note that you will have up to
28 days to provide them. Remembering to write your Housing Benefit
Claim number on any extra information you provide. If all the
information is not provided within the given timescale your claim
will be closed and you will have to raise a new claim.
We can only use original documents as evidence
(no photocopies). We strongly advise you not to send these
documents through the post. Please bring in this information to one
of the above organisations, staff will photocopy your original
documents and return them to you.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Ascham Homes
if you need any help completing your forms.
Home Visit:
If you are housebound and need help making a
claim we can arrange for an officer to visit you at home. To make
an appointment please contact Revenue Services:
Reporting a Change in Your Circumstance:
If you receive Housing Benefit and there is a
change to your circumstances or those of someone who lives with
you, you must let the Revenue and Benefits Service know straight
away. Please provide them with any documents relating to the change
in person or send originals by mail using recorded delivery.
Failure to notify the Revenue and Benefits
service of your change in circumstances may lead to legal action
and in some cases prosecution).
Please see examples below of changes to your
living arrangements which the Revenue and Benefits Service must be
informed of straight away:
- If your income changes or the income of anyone
living with you changes
- If anyone moves in or out of
your home
- If you have a child
- If any children living with you leave
school or full-time education
- If anyone living with you becomes a student or
starts a job-training scheme
- If you or your partner stop receiving Income
Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance (even if
it for a short amount of time i.e. you go on holiday)
- If the amount of savings you have goes above
£3,000 (or above £6,000 if you are over the age of
60)
- If you or your partner are in hospital for
more than 6 week
- If you move house
- If you or any person living in your premises gains
employment
If you are in any doubt please contact the
Revenues and Benefits Service for further advice.
Useful contacts:
Money Matters www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/housing/money-matters.htm
Benefit Calculator
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/council/benefit/ben-calc-info.htm
Department of work and pensions http://www.dwp.gov.uk/
Pension Service http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/
Money Advice
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingMoney/index.htm
Housing Benefit
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018926
Low Income
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/index.htm
Shelter (the housing and homelessness charity)
http://www.shelter.org.uk/
HM Revenue & Customs http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
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