How we work out your Housing Benefit

A guide to how we work out your Housing Benefit.

Your capital - savings, investments and property

The savings, investments and property that you and/or your partner may have are known as your capital.

Examples of capital include:

  • money in a bank, building society or post office account
  • stocks and shares
  • Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
  • Premium Bonds
  • Income Bonds and Capital Bonds
  • other land and property

Tariff income 

Depending on the value of your capital, we may increase the income we take into account when deciding your benefits. This is called a tariff income.

For Housing Benefit, if you have capital between £6,000 and £16,000, we will add £1 a week to your income for every £250 you have. 

If you have more than £16,000

If you have more than £16,000, you will not be able to get Housing Benefit unless you or your partner receives a Guaranteed Pension Credit.

If you or your partner are of pensionable age

If you or your partner are of pensionable age, then we will not include capital under £10,000. For anything over £10,000 to £16,000 we will add £1 a week to your income for every £500 of capital.

Find out your pensionable age.