[KF] More than 200,000 working families will gain about £1000 a year, thanks to new rules around Housing and Council Tax Benefits, making them an average of £20 a week better off.
Income from Child Benefit will no longer be taken into account when calculating entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. This will mean more money for families already getting these benefits and other low income families becoming eligible for the first time.
Claiments who are working are entitled to both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and this change is seen by the Government as an extra incentive to getting back to work. Currently, the average Housing Benefit award is £80 a week and the average Council Tax Benefit award is £15 per week.
The Child Benefit disregard for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is one of a series of measures taken since the Budget of 2007, aimed at lifting around a further 500,000 children out of poverty.
Notes
Families in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit do not have to do anything to access this new help. The disregard will be calculated and added to the Benefit automatically.
Families on a low income who are not in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit who think they might be newly entitled to these benefits should contact their local council for more details.
Child Benefit disregard for Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit was announced in the Budget 2008.
More Help With Housing Costs for Working Families