You can claim Housing Benefit if you are working age, on a low income and have a liability to pay rent and living in either:​

• temporary accommodation (placed by Barking & Dagenham Homeless Team)​
• a hostel or refuge for Domestic Violence​
• supported exempt accommodation​
• some sheltered accommodation provided by a Housing Association​

Or ​

• if you have reached Pension Credit age or are part of a couple who have both reached Pension Credit age

​If you do not meet the criteria above, you will need to claim Universal Credit.  Universal Credit is a benefit for working age people and has replaced Housing Benefit since 2018.

​Housing Benefit does not help with mortgages, the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme (SMI) administered by the Department for Works and Pensions, helps those on low income pay interest on their mortgage.​

​Benefits calculator

If you meet the criteria and would like to see if you would qualify for Housing Benefit, you can use an independent Benefits calculator.