Housing Benefit

The Housing Benefit Scheme in Shetland

Most people who rent their homes, and are on incomes that are significantly below average, are entitled to receive the Government rent rebate called Housing Benefit. Over 1,000 households in Shetland - renting houses from the Council, Hjaltland Housing Association and private landlords - have their rents paid in part or in full by Housing Benefit.

The Housing Benefit Scheme in Shetland is administered by experienced Council staff at:

Shetland Islands Council
Executive Services Department
Finance
Charlotte House
Commercial Road
Lerwick
ZE1 0LX

Telephone: 01595 744682
Fax: 01595 744661
Website: www.shetland.gov.uk/benefits

You can access information on benefits at www.shetland.gov.uk/benefits.

It is particularly important that anyone interested in claiming Housing Benefit entitlement should contact the Council's Housing Benefit staff as soon as possible, because there is a risk that the claimant may not be entitled to receive Housing Benefit for any rent paid before the Council was informed of the claim. Potential claimants are therefore strongly encouraged to visit the Council's Charlotte House office to register their claim and discuss the Housing Benefit claim procedure. Claimants visiting the office will be seen right away by staff.

The Housing Benefit claim procedure

Every Housing Benefit claimant must submit and sign a detailed application form. Council staff are happy to explain the application to applicants and to help them complete the form.

Verification of the applicant's financial resources is essential, so evidence of both income and capital will be required to support the answers given in the application form. This means that payslips, bank statements, benefit books and so on must be made available for inspection by Council staff. However, as long as the application form is submitted the claim can be made payable in full from the submission date, even though the evidence on the applicant's resources may take some time to produce and be verified.

It is also worth noting that a single application form is used to claim Council Tax Benefit as well as Housing Benefit, which means that the end result of the application process could result in the applicant receiving both Benefits.

The Council staff then work out how much Housing Benefit is due according to the answers to 4 questions:

  • how much money the applicant has coming in from his or her earnings and any other income and from his or her partner's earnings and income.
  • how much money the applicant and, where applicable, partner have saved or invested (no Housing Benefit will be paid where savings amount to £16,000 or more and it will usually be reduced on a sliding scale if savings are over £6,000).
  • the applicant's personal circumstances e.g. the numbers of dependants living in the same household, whether the applicant is disabled etc).
  • the maximum rent level which the Housing Benefit system will support (see below for explanation).

The Maximum Rent Level