Self-Employment and Housing Benefit

Housing benefit for self-employed individual is a scheme given to people who have low income and could not afford to buy a house. This benefit gives chance to live in a decent place without restraining the budget.

As long as you have the necessary requirements you can apply for housing benefit.

Applying for Housing Benefit

If you want to live in a decent accommodation yet you do not have enough fund to obtain fully furnished house then you should apply for housing benefit. This is not only for employed individual but also for self-employed. All you have to do is to inquire from the concerned agency if you are qualified for such benefit. When you apply for housing benefit you should possess any of the following such as income support, having full time or part time job as well as self-employed.

On the other hand, there are several factors that affect the awarding of the housing benefit to a self-employed individual.

  • The amount of rent that can afford by the applicant.
  • Council tax liability
  • Number of family member including the non-dependants

If you know that you are qualified for housing benefit you should not delay claiming it. The first thing to do is to proceed to the agency and complete the claim form. As much as possible you should show proof of self-employment, proof of income and other requirements asked by the office. If the claimant is self-employed there are other requirements to be submitted before the claim is processed.

Moreover, when applying for housing benefits for self-employed you should ensure to meet the savings required. Likewise, the approval of the claim is based on the savings as well as personal circumstances of the claimant. It is also required to submit the audited business accounts and the self-employed earnings. On the other hand, if the applicant does not have the audited accounts then you can complete the information form for self-employed earnings. You also need to provide the income received, trading period and the expenses incurred.

How Is Housing Benefit Paid?

Before you decide to file your claim about housing benefit you should be aware about the payment option. In this way you will know how much you need to pay for the housing benefit. In addition, you should also know how long you need to pay for the housing claim

Nevertheless, if you cannot afford the housing costs you can inquire from the Council Tax Benefit and apply for Discretionary Housing Payment. Yet, the council would look for the following items:

  • Proof of savings
  • Obtain financial assistance from other source.
  • If any of the family members can help financially or if there are assets that can help meet financial shortfall.
  • Finances that can ease the situation.
  • Total income

1 Comment

  • Corrieann Marlow said on October 6, 2013
    You are not giving the agency in which one can apply. I am interested. Please send the information. Thank you

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