Housing Benefit is a national welfare benefit administered and paid out by local councils on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions. Its purpose is to help people on low incomes pay their rent and the amount of benefit received is based on an applicant's personal circumstances.
The role of the Rent Registration Service is to calculate the level of housing benefit subsidy that local authorities receive from central government. The Rent Officer does not calculate the amount of benefit paid out to the tenant.
In calculating the amount of subsidy local authorities can claim, the Rent Officer will take account of factors such as the number of rooms in the property, the number of people living in the house as well as their age and sex and the condition of the dwelling.
One of the main factors affecting the amount of subsidy received by the Council is the market place. The Rent Officer is duty bound to have regard to what a tenant is able to pay from his / her own resources and a landlord is willing to receive. This is determined using market evidence supplied by landlords, tenants, estate agencies, letting agencies and solicitors' offices.
A new system of managing housing benefit is currently in preparation throughout the UK.
If a person is planning to rent privately and is expecting to rely on Housing Benefit to make a property affordable, they can apply for a pre-tenancy determination. This is a rental valuation carried out by the Rent Officer before a lease is signed.