Benefits
Great Yarmouth Borough Council administers the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit schemes and tries to ensure that customers receive benefit to which they are entitled as well as investigating potential fraud.
Council Tax and Housing benefit is for people on a low income to help meet the cost of rent and council tax. Benefits are means tested so the money you earn and the money you have saved, together with your household circumstances, will affect the amount of help you may be entitled to.
To find out if you are entitled to claim any help with your rent or council tax please follow the link to the right to the "entitled to" website.
Important Forthcoming Changes
Please refer to the Benefits - What's New? page for details.
Further information/contact
If you would like more information about the benefits and reductions available, or you would simply like to check out the possibility that you might be entitled to Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, please contact us. For further information, please follow the links to the right
Need more information? Get advice leaflets at www.benefit-leaflets.org These are also available in other languages.Please click here for translation services
As well as Housing and Council Tax benefit you may be entitled to other help. The Direct Gov website may be useful if you are unsure as to any other entitlement you mat have, and also the Department for Works and Pensions will be able to advise you on how to claim any of their benefits. Please follow the links below to both of these websites.
Benefits FAQ
Am I entitled to any help, and if so how much?
Can I rent from a close relative?
Future changes to the way we pay benefit
What do I do if I am having trouble providing the evidence required?
Am I entitled to any help, and if so how much?
Housing and Council Tax benefit could help you meet the cost of you rent and council tax if you are on a low income. Even if you are working you may still be entitled to some help. Benefits are means tested so the amount you receive will be dependent on your income and capital and your household circumstances. To get an estimate of how much you may be entitled to please follow the link to the right to the entitled to website.
Please go to New Claim. This page will guide you through the procedure for completing your claim to benefits.
If you are already living in a property your benefit will normally start on the Monday after you make your claim.
If you move into a new address we can start your claim on the date that you move in provided we receive the claim form before you move in or within the same week (for benefit purposes a week begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday).
If you are receiving Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (income related), or Jobseekers Allowance (income based) and you move into a new address, your benefit will normally start on the date that you move in provided we receive a claim form within one month of that date.
There are special rules for people living in hostel accommodation and, as mentioned above, for people aged 60 or over.
Can I rent from a close relative?
In certain circumstances we will pay rent in this case, however please contact us for more information
Housing benefit - This is usually paid straight into your bank account every four weeks in arrears. If you are a Council tenant we will pay your benefit direct to your rent account.
Council Tax benefit - This is paid directly to your Council Tax account, you will then be sent a revised bill.
Future changes to the way we pay benefit
In the near future Great Yarmouth Borough Council will stop paying your benefit by cheque. All our payments will instead be paid direct into your bank account. If you do not have a bank account you should be able to open one without any problems, however if you do struggle please contact either our Customer Services department or visit the local Citizens Advice Bureau. There are links to the CAB website to the right.
Even if you own your home you may still be entitled to Council Tax Benefit. Unfortunately we are unable to help you with any mortgage payments, however please follow the link to the right to the Direct Gov website as you will find further information there.
What do I do if I am having trouble providing the evidence required?
We understand that sometimes it can take a bit of time to collate all the evidence we require. If you are having problems gathering the information within the allotted time please contact our Customer Services department to keep us informed. Send in all the information you do have and write a letter or statement detailing the evidence you still need to provide and when you envisage being able to do so. We may be able to make a payment on account based on the information you have already provided.
Further Information
Great Yarmouth Borough Council hold weekly surgeries at the Comeunity Office on King Street, click on the link to view their website: www.comeunity.info
Contact Us
Tel: 01493 856100
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Town Hall,
Hall Plain,
Great Yarmouth,
Norfolk,
NR30 2QF
Open: Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm
Useful Links
The Borough Council is not responsible for the contents of external internet sites.
