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The new force combining Age Concern Wales logo & Help the Aged in Wales logo

Housing benefits

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You could be one of up to 350‚000 older people who are entitled to Housing Benefit but are not receiving it. A simple claim could reduce your rent bills each week and cover some service charges like lifts and communal laundry facilities.

Can I claim it?

  • You must have responsibility for paying the rent.
  • If you are a couple‚ only one of you can claim it.
  • You cannot usually be living in a close relative’s household.
  • You need to have less than £16‚000 in savings. However‚ if you get Guarantee Credit there is no savings limit and your rent is likely to be fully covered by the benefit. The main exception would be if you have someone living with you‚ e.g. a grown up son or daughter‚ who is expected to contribute to the rent.
  • You must also be ‘habitually resident’ in the UK and not excluded from claiming because of your immigration status.

You can get a claim form by phoning the Housing and Council Tax Benefit section of your local council or by visiting the Department for Work and Pensions website (see Useful website).

opens link in new window A brief guide to benefits, financial entitlements and financial assistance for older people in Wales - April 2011 (PDF 440 KB)

opens link in new window FS17 Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit - April 2011 (PDF 266KB)

Your Age Cymru

Set your location to see what Age Cymru offers in your local area.

Age UK Advice:
0800 169 65655

Useful website

  • The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for a range of benefits and services for pensioners and people planning pensions.


  • Help with downloads

    Downloads

    What is a download?

    A download is a document (like a research report, a leaflet, or an application form) that can be transferred from our website to your computer. You can download a file, view it on your screen, print it, or save it to your computer.

    What is a PDF?

    PDF stands for ‘portable document format’.

    Most downloads on this website are PDFs. We use this format to ensure that the document looks the same on everyone’s computer (website pages, by contrast, appear differently depending on how people have got their computer set up).

    How do I download a PDF?

    Computers use a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to download PDFs. If you try clicking on a link to download a PDF and it doesn’t work, you will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader onto your computer.

    How do I install Adobe Acrobat Reader?

    The process is quite straightforward and is free.

    1. Go to opens link in new window http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
    2. Click ‘Download’.
    3. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Run’, then choose this option.
    4. Click ‘Next’.
    5. Click ‘Install’
    6. Wait for the window to offer you the option to ‘Finish’, then choose this option.

    How do I change a download?

    PDFs cannot be changed. If you need to be able to type into a downloaded document (for example, if we are offering a letter template that you need to put your name on) we will provide it as a Microsoft Word document rather than a PDF. You can then download it, type into it and save it to your computer.

    How do I print or save a download?

    Downloads will open on your computer in a new browser window.

    Inside this window (below all your web browser menus), there will be a toolbar with options for you to print or save the document.

    Close the browser window to return to the Age UK website.

    Can my screen reader read PDF downloads?

    We have made every effort to make our PDFs accessible to screen readers. Here is an overview of your accessibility options available in Acrobat Reader. Please ensure that you have downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Reader website to ensure that they are included in your version of the programme.

    You can use Adobe Reader to read a PDF out loud with the following shortcut keys:

    • Read the document: Shift +Ctrl+Y
    • Read the open page only: Shift +Ctrl+V
    • Read to the end of the document: Shift+Ctrl+B
    • Pause: Shift+Ctrl+C
    • Stop Shift+Ctrl+E


    You can also convert a PDF into a web page by following these steps:

    • Copy the URL (web address) of the document (right-click on the link and select ‘Save target as’ or ‘Copy link’).
    • Open the Adobe online conversion tool in your browser and paste the URL into the URL box.
    • Tick the HTML box on the Format option and click ‘Convert’.


    You can convert a PDF document into a text file for use with other software and hardware such as Braille printers by opening the PDF and choosing ‘Save as text’ from the File menu.

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