3. Basic rules
As well as being a student who is eligible to claim housing benefit (HB – see
here), you must also meet all the following conditions to qualify.
•You are liable to pay rent (see
here).
•You pay rent for the home in which you normally live (see
here).
•Your accommodation is eligible for HB (see
here).
•You satisfy the ‘habitual residence’ and ‘right to reside’ tests, and are not a ‘person subject to immigration control’. These terms are explained in CPAG’s
Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook. Overseas students can get further advice from UKCISA (see
Appendix 2).
•You have no more than £16,000 capital. There is no capital limit if you are getting pension credit guarantee credit.
•Your income is sufficiently low (see
Chapter 22).
What follows is a brief outline of the basic HB rules, including those that refer specifically to students. For more details, see CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.