Housing Benefit | Westmorland and Furness Council

Make a claim for Housing Benefit

Find out if you're eligible and how to make a claim for Housing Benefit and supporting documentation you need to provide.

Supporting documents for a benefit or reduction claim

You must provide documents, such as evidence of identity and proof of earnings, with your application form.

Housing Benefit payment

Housing Benefit is paid in different ways depending on if you rent from a registered social landlord or rent from a private landlord.

How we calculate Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

What is considered when you make a claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.

Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance rates are used to calculate Housing Benefits for tenants renting from private landlords.

Apply for Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments

Extra payments to help you pay your rent if you’re already receiving Housing Benefit or housing cost payments from Universal Credit. They replaced Discretionary Housing Payments on 1 April 2026.

Housing Benefit overpayments

An overpayment is when we pay you or your landlord an amount of Housing Benefit that you were not entitled to receive.

Backdating your benefits or reduction

If there has been a reason which stopped or delayed you making a claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction you can ask for your claim to be 'backdated'.

Report a Housing Benefit fraud

Report someone committing benefit fraud.

Appeal a Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction decision

Any 'person affected' by a decision regarding Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction can ask us to revise our decision or appeal to an independent tribunal.