IS20 - A guide to Income Support

Your Income Support payment

Income Support housing costs

Some housing costs are covered by Income Support rather than Housing Benefit. These costs are: [Legislation (75)]

• mortgage interest payments
• interest on loans for repairs and improvements that are necessary to maintain the fitness of your home for human habitation
• ground rents
• some service charges
• co-ownership and Crown tenancy charges
• charges for tents
• hire purchase interest payments when you are buying your home by hire purchase
• payments by way of rentcharge. Other costs such as water charges, some repairs and insurance costs, and cesspit and septic tank emptying are treated as covered by your personal allowance. In Scotland the rent for a croft is covered by the Housing Benefit scheme.

Eligibility for help with housing costs

You will be able to get help with these housing costs on your home from Income Support if you, your partner or a dependant are treated as responsible for these costs. You will be treated as responsible for them if: [Legislation (76)]

• you are liable to pay these costs to occupy the home
• or someone else is normally liable for these costs (usually a partner) but because they are no longer paying them you now have to pay them.

During a trade dispute, members of your family who are not affected by the dispute will be treated as responsible for the housing costs.

If you are temporarily absent from your usual home you may be able to get Income Support housing costs paid.

Previous / Contents / Next

back to top