Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for students

Most full-time students cannot get Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit because the Government expects them to use other money like their student loan or hardship fund payments (access-to-learning fund payments) to pay their rent and Council Tax.

However, you may be able to get Housing Benefit and ordinary Council Tax Benefit if you are a student and:

• you have children;
• you are 60 or over, or your partner is 60 or over;
• you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
• you get the Disability Premium (this is an allowance we use to work out benefit for people who meet certain conditions);
• you get a Disabled Student's Allowance for deafness;
• you are under 19 and not in higher education (this means that you are in any education after the age of 16, up to and including GCE 'A' Level or BTEC National Diploma or National Certificate, whether or not the course leads to a qualification);
• you are under 21 and not in higher education (see above) and began your course before you were 19; 
• you are under 20 and someone gets Child Benefit for you;
• your course has been interrupted, with the approval of the college or university, due to illness or caring responsibilities;
• you have been covered by a sick note saying that you've not been able to work due to illness or disability for at least 28 weeks;
• you are a part-time student; or
• you have a partner who is not a student (they would have to claim, not you).

The rules that mean most full-time students cannot get Council Tax Benefit don't apply to Second Adult Rebate. So full-time students may still get Second Adult Rebate or Second Adult Rebate for students.