Advice and benefits

Support our residents

We want to support the ambitions of our residents in less affluent areas to improve their lives and communities. We believe that physical, social and economic regeneration will support this.

 

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea administers Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for its residents. The funding for these welfare benefits comes from central government who also set the laws and guidelines that govern them.

  • The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Benefits Service staff are available to assist with all new and existing claims Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 5pm.

Calculating your entitlement

The amount of entitlement depends on the income and capital of the resident and the amount of rent and Council Tax set for the property the resident lives in. There are also differences for those over 60, those self-employed or students. Please see the Housing Benefit pages for the benefit calculator and Local Housing Allowance entitlement calculator.

Private landlord information

Landlords can find information here on what happens when a tenant is claiming benefit and the responsibilities they may have. There is also information on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) for private landlords (see Housing Benefit for more details).

Other grants, benefits and exemptions

There is also advice on other benefits, grants and exemptions that are available for residents such as the Winter Fuel Payment, Working Tax Credit, or Bereavement Benefits to name a few. There are also the contact details of advice centres across the borough that can help with any issues that our residents face.

RBKC Benefits newsletter 2011

Please see the Royal Borough's housing and council tax benefit newsletter 2011 above for more information.

Advice on other services

If you are looking for advice for businesses, families, housing or parking, as well as other services the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea provides, please use the links on the left of this page or return to the homepage.

Housing Benefit is changing from April 2011 for Private Tenants

The Government amended the Housing Benefit (HB) legislation on 30 November 2010 bringing into effect changes starting in April 2011.

For new claims made from April 2011 these changes will:

  • end the maximum £15 weekly Housing Benefit top up paid to people whose rent is less than the Local Housing Allowance  (LHA)
  • limit housing benefit for private tenants to the cheapest 30 per cent of local properties, rather than the cheapest 50 per cent (technically the 30th percentile of rents rather than the median)
  • allow an additional bedroom within the size criteria used to assess HB claims in the private rented sector when a disabled person, or someone with a long term health condition, has a proven need for overnight care and this is provided by a non-resident carer
  • reduce the amount of Housing Benefit you can receive by introducing maximum caps so that LHA weekly rates in any area cannot be more than:
  • £250 for anyone needing a one bedroom property
  • £290 for anyone needing a two bedroom property
  • £340 for anyone needing a three bedroom property
  • £400 for anyone needing a four bedroom or larger property.

For existing customers a period of up to nine months’ transitional protection will be available from the anniversary date of the claim. For example, if a claim is made in December 2010, the anniversary date will be December 2011. Nine months later, in September 2012, the transitional protection would end and the rent would be restricted as described above. 

You will stop receiving the maximum £15 weekly Housing Benefit top up paid to people whose rent is less than the LHA at the anniversary date of the claim.

Please be aware that the date when the rent will be restricted can change. If there is a change in circumstances, for example if you move, break your claim or someone joins or leaves your household, then the rent could be reduced sooner.

Further Advice

The internet is a good source of advice. Libraries offer internet access and the sites listed below will have the answers to most questions. The Valuation Office Agency’s website shows LHA values for the whole country allowing you to see areas where the LHA values are less than the caps. You will also be able to see the current 30th percentile rent figures.

If you would like to discuss your case you can phone the Housing Benefit advice line: 020 7361 3006. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm. The Town Hall is open to offer advice Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm. 

If you have access to the internet then you will find more details by going to these websites:

Page last updated: 04/01/2012