Claiming Universal Credit

Working Age residents (i.e. you are below pension age)

From 24 October 2018 Epsom & Ewell Borough Council cannot accept claims for Housing Benefit. The two exceptions to this are if you have been placed in temporary homeless accommodation by the council's Housing Department, or you live in Supported Accommodation where the landlord is a housing association, charity or voluntary organisation and care is provided to you.

Instead of claiming Housing Benefit you should claim Universal Credit. Universal Credit can include a 'Housing Element' that could help you meet your rent.

For more information on Universal Credit visit www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk

To claim Universal Credit go to www.gov.uk/universalcredit

If you need help making your claim for Universal Credit because you have difficulty with computers contact Epsom Job Centre or the council's Benefit Section.

Please be aware that in some circumstances:

  • you can ask for an advance payment of your Universal Credit whilst you await your first payment, and
  • it might be possible to pay your 'Housing Element' directly to your landlord.

For more information on this you can contact the council's Benefit Section or Citizens Advice on 0300 330 1164.

If you are a tenant of Rosebery Housing Association you can get help and advice from their tenancy sustainment officers by ringing 01372 814000.

Universal Credit does not help towards your Council Tax. To claim Council Tax Support you must complete an application form and return it without delay to: The Benefit Section, Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, KT18 5BY.

If you are already receiving Housing Benefit and are wondering when you might receive Universal Credit instead, see our Moving to Universal Credit page.

 

Pensioners (i.e. you have reached pension age)

You can still claim Housing Benefit with the council. You must complete an application form and return it without delay to: The Benefit Section, Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, KT18 5BY. This will also be treated as a claim for help towards your Council Tax.

Eventually it might be that you receive help with your rent through the DWP's Pension Service, but we have no details about this and it would not start before 2024 at the earliest.