Housing and council tax benefit?

Question

my income is £19000.00 a year. i'm looking for a private one bed flat to rent. there is only me and my wife and no children. wife does not work.

will i get any help towards paying rent to private landlord? what is the maximum i can claim? i cannot get council housing because i don't have children hence i'm not priority.

Answer 1

I doubt very much you will get help with either rent or council tax.

Me and my partner only have an income of £20,000 a year.

We also have a 2 year old daughter and we get no help at all with rent or council tax.

You could try applying but doubt you will get anything.

Answer 2

On your salary you could comfortably afford a 1 bed flat, as for people with children having priority on council housing that is far from the truth.

my partner and i and our daughter are LOW priority meaning we have NO chance of getting a council place.

your wife should get a job to stop the need for you to scrounge.

Answer 3

No. You would get single persons allowance if it was just you...but as you have a wife you will not. Single persons allowance is half the rate. So if your tax were £100.00 you would have to pay 50 yourself.  

Answer 4

To the answer above it's 25% discount not 50%, which is stupid as we get should get 50%.

Answer 5

i dont think you would be entitled to any help.

people on minimum wage have to pay full rent most of the time,  which usually means around half their monthly income. so i dont see why someone earning 19k would get help.

maybe your wife should consider working then it would be more affordable to rent privately.

you could also try local housing associations who have different rules than council, and tend to have more one bed places for rent.

  

Answer 6

You can go on your local councils website and look. Most councils now have a benefit calculator that works out how much if any you are entitled to. Look under housing benefit or council tax benefit it'll be there. Don't listen to all the answers on here there are some benefits available to those who work, especially if you live in the more expensive areas.

Answer 7

your earnings are too high to qualify for any assistance  

Answer 8

You will find it difficult to find anyone to sign you up for a lease of more than half your income after tax so you're looking at £8000 a year in rent = £ 666 per month.  You can get an OK flat for that and as you have no dependents you won't get any help.  You would wait years for Council housing even if you had kids on that salary; the people who do get housing are working full time for half as much or on benefits, once you are in there you never get out so count yourself lucky.

Answer 9

Contrary to popular belief, Housing Benefit is available to everyone, even those that work, and including those in privately rented accommodation, so you are not scrounging.

Having said that, your income is higher than average so I really doubt you would get very much should you apply, even with your wife being out of work.

Check your eligibility here:

http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/i...

Type in your postcode and follow the links to the benefit calculator where you can input your incoming/outgoing details. The calculator, though not totally accurate, will give you a general idea.

As for council tax, you and your wife will have to pay the full amount because at least one of you are in work and you intend to live together.  

Answer 10

get your wife to work then you would be able to afford a 2 bed flat and join the few of us who don`t claim benefits

Answer 11

19K,no need to rely on the tax payer, so no benefit for you, Pay your own rent