Who can apply for Income Support and Housing Benefit?

Certain vulnerable groups are eligible to apply for IS and HB, these are:

students in receipt of IS or JSA (for Housing Benefit)
part time students
student pensioners aged 60 or more
students who qualify for the disability premium
students who have been incapable of work for 28 weeks or more
lone parent students
student couples with dependant children
lone foster parent students who are responsible for a foster child
students who are under 19 and not in higher education
students whose grant includes a Disabled Students allowance for deafness

students with the approval of their university, interrupt their studies either because of illness or caring responsibilities; and

1. have recovered from the illness, or caring responsibilities have ceased; and
2. the University of Bolton will not allow them to rejoin their course until a later date; and
3. are not eligible for a student loan.

Please note: full time students who suspend their studies for the following reasons will not be eligible to apply for student support or benefits:
financial hardship

failing exams or waiting to re-sit exams
falling through of a work placement
personal or academic problems

If you are thinking of suspending your studies for any reason you are strongly advised to contact the Advice Unit first who will establish your entitlement to benefit.

Housing Benefit Facts

You will be able to claim HB if you are paying rent on a property. You will not be eligible if you live with parents or other close relatives in their home.

You can only claim for 'eligible rent'. HB will not cover utility bills, water rates nor will it pay the full amount if your rent is considered excessive. You will also become liable to pay Council Tax but may qualify for CTB.

You may consider applying for both HB and CTB direct from your local authority, as applying through Job Centre Plus can be a lengthy procedure. You will be asked to submit the following evidence with your form:

Proof of income
Tenancy agreement

National Insurance number and evidence of identity such as passport, driving licence.If students are receiving full Housing Benefit when they initially come to The University of Bolton, they are required under law to inform the Local Authority and Benefits Agency of their student support. Notification is also required under the Income Support rules.The Housing Benefits Section will require the submission of a new form and the new income details in order to calculate benefit entitlement. This process can be time consuming depending on your Local Authority and in our experience can take months if the student fails to enclose the relevant documents at the time of the application.

During this time students may have had full Housing Benefit or assumed that they will get most of their rent paid and therefore failed to budget for rent payments. This can result in huge amounts of rent arrears and potential eviction proceedings by the landlord.

The housing benefit section is required to recover any overpaid housing benefit from the claimant. This often occurs where the student fails to notify their change of circumstances to the benefits section. They are also entitled to recover money owed from the newly assessed benefit entitlement.

Due to delays in the administration of housing benefit some students have experienced serious rent difficulties. Therefore, we strongly advise students to budget for rent payments at the start of their course. Although the majority of students in vulnerable groups will receive limited help with their rent, the amounts can vary considerably depending on the individual circumstances of the student.

Practical points to remember:

• Applications for Housing Benefit must be submitted with proof of identity AND National Insurance such as driving licence, passport, bank details, national insurance card, medical card, etc.
• Claims for housing benefit start on the Monday after the claim form has been received.
• Original documents only must be submitted with the application.
• A copy of your financial assessment is necessary. Bolton Metro will photocopy your documents and return the originals to you with a receipt of acknowledgment.

• If any additional documents are required they must be provided within 28 days or the claim WILL lapse. The Local Authority will not contact the claimant to inform them of this.
• Bolton Metro will take up to two weeks to process claims if provided with full documents. 

If you are unsure of why you have been refused Housing Benefit you are entitled to request a written statement of reasons which was introduced in July 2001. This provides a detailed breakdown of the calculation and decision.

Housing Benefit is based on 'eligible rent' if it involves a service charge then this is deducted as the figure is based on the actual rent.

For example, if a student occupies a whole two-bedroom house then the calculation will be based on a one bedroom flat. Seek advice from the Advice Unit for further clarification or guidance on 01204 900850.