Benefits

Find out about Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Winter Fuel Payment and benefit fraud, as well as our benefits calculator.

For help or advice, our Benefits Team can advise on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.

For help with the Household Support fund, please email hsf@westberks.gov.uk. For assistance with Universal Credit (UC), please visit the GOV.UK website, or contact the UC helpline.

You can also find out about Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) on the Housing pages and other financial support on our Cost of Living pages.

Clarification regarding emails sent by the Benefits Service on or around 26 September 2025:

We apologise if you received an email stating that Housing Benefit or Council Tax letters are available to view, but experienced an error when clicking the link.

If the link leads to a message such as "This page cannot be reached or found," please ignore the email. It was issued in error as part of software testing. Please be assured that there is no decision notice available to view.

Apply for the Household Support Fund

Information about an application form for the 2023/24 Household Support Fund.

Claim Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction

How to claim a reduction in rent through Housing Benefit and/or a reduction in Council Tax through Council Tax Reduction.

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Reduction (CTR) Scheme

Find out about the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2023/24, including eligibility and Exceptional Hardship Fund.

Appeal a Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction decision

What to do if you disagree with our decision about your entitlement to Housing Benefit and/ or Council Tax Reduction.

Calculate your Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit

Use our online benefits calculator to estimate how much Council Tax Reduction and/or Housing Benefit you might receive.

Ask for advice about Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction

Help for new or existing Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction claims.

Universal Credit

An introduction to Universal Credit (paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)), eligibility, where to make a claim, and where to get support.

Reporting benefit fraud

How and where to report Housing Benefit or Council Tax/Council Tax Reduction fraud.

Winter Fuel Payments

Information about the Government's Winter Fuel Payments, to help those born before 25th September 1957 with heating their home in winter.