Housing benefits and support
Council Tax Support Fund 2023/24
To help you with the rising cost of living, this fund provides a reduction of up to £85 towards your 2023/2024 Council Tax Bill.
Claim housing benefit
If you pay rent for your home and you are on a low income, you may be able to get some help by claiming benefit.
Housing benefit online account
View your housing benefit account details easily online
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), not Chorley Council. View information on Universal Credit.
Household Support Fund
The government have announced an extension of the Household support fund to be made available to Councils in England to help with significant rising living costs. It is intended to help those who do not have enough resources to meet immediate short term needs and require assistance with essential items over the coming months.
Change in circumstances that may affect your benefits
Circumstances change all the time and we need to be kept informed of any new information that could affect your Housing Benefit or Council Tax support claim.
Council Tax Support
Council Tax Support can help towards the cost of your Council Tax charge if you are on a low income or in receipt of other benefits. You can claim if you are working and your earnings are low.
Council Tax appeal
Appeal against your Council Tax valuation band, your Council Tax calculation or your Council Tax support calculation.
Report benefit fraud
Benefit fraud is when people claim benefit they are not entitled to, by giving us false information or not telling us when their circumstances have changed. This is a criminal offence that can result in prosecution and any overpaid benefit being recovered.
Non-Dependants and your benefit claim
Housing and Council Tax Benefit is reduced for each non-dependant living in your home. For non-dependant couples, the income of both members of the couple are added together to find the total gross income. The reduction in your benefit is called a non-dependant deduction.
Housing benefit overpayments
An overpayment is when more benefit is awarded than someone is entitled to (this can happen when somebody does not tell us about a change in their circumstances). This includes any housing benefit that has been paid to a claimant or their landlord or any Council Tax support which is paid direct to your Council Tax account.
Backdating a benefits claim
Council Tax support and housing benefit is normally paid from the Monday following the date a claim is received by us. If you want benefit or Council Tax support to be paid from an earlier date you will need to request backdating.
Housing benefit appeals
If you want to know more about the benefit decision we have made, or if you think the decision is wrong, you should get in touch with us within 1 month of the date of the decision by email to contact@chorley.gov.uk.
Housing benefit payments
Payment will usually be made straight into a bank or building society account on a Wednesday evening and should be in the account on the following Monday. Housing benefit is paid every 4 weeks, in arrears.
Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP)
Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP's) help people with their rent when their housing benefit or Universal Credit housing costs payment does not meet the full value of their rent. You must be in receipt of some housing benefit or Universal Credit housing costs for an award to be made.
Housing benefit information for landlords
This page offers advice and information to help landlords understand the rules relating to a tenant's claim for housing benefit.
Housing benefit under occupancy rules
View information on under occupancy rules and how the rules may affect your housing benefit.
Second adult rebate
If you live at a property with another person (who is not your partner) and that person has a low income then you may qualify for second adult rebate.
Job Centre Plus
Search to find your local Job Centre Plus.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
If you rent your property from a private landlord then your benefit will be calculated using a Local Housing Allowance rate. The rate we apply is determined by the number of bedrooms your household needs and the area the property is in.
Council Tax overpayments
An overpayment is when more benefit is awarded than someone is entitled to (this can happen when somebody does not tell us about a change in their circumstances). This includes any housing benefit that has been paid to a claimant or their landlord or any Council Tax support which is paid direct to your Council Tax account.
Budgeting support
View information on budgeting support
Emergency food support
View information on emergency food support available.