This page tells you how to get help to pay your rent and Council Tax if you live in the London Borough of Merton.
You must apply for help from the borough that you live in (unless you have been placed in temporary accommodation in another borough by London Borough of Merton). See Find your council if you are not sure what borough you live in.
Get help to pay your rent
You may be able to claim Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
Select the option that applies to you:
You are living in temporary accommodation provided by Merton
Claim Housing Benefit
If you live in temporary accommodation provided by Merton, and need help to pay your rent, complete our online claim form to make your application for Housing Benefit (HB). If you are not sure if you live in temporary accommodation, please ask your landlord.
You are living in supported accommodation in Merton
Claim Housing Benefit
If you live in supported accommodation, and need help to pay your rent, you should complete our online claim form to make your application for Housing Benefit (HB). If you are not sure if you live in supported accommodation, please ask your landlord.
You are going to apply for new style Employment and Support Allowance, new style Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit
Claim Housing Benefit (HB) when you claim these other benefits
If you are going to claim for new style Employment and Support Allowance, new style Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit, you can ask the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to include a claim for HB in your application for these benefits.
If you are already getting these benefits but did not ask to claim HB at the time you claimed them and are not eligible to get help with your rent from Universal Credit, you should complete our online claim form to make an application for Housing Benefit.
You are of pension age and live in Merton
If you’re single and of pension age, you should complete our online claim form to apply for Housing Benefit.
If you are a couple and both of you are of pension age, you should complete our online claim form to apply for Housing Benefit.
If one person in a couple is under pension age you will need to claim Universal Credit instead of Housing Benefit.
None of the above
Claim Universal Credit
You are not eligible to claim Housing Benefit (HB) but you can make a claim for help with your rent from Universal Credit housing element. Please do not make a claim for HB. If you make a claim for HB it will be rejected, your claim for UC housing element will not be backdated and you may lose Universal Credit as a result.
Get help to pay your Council Tax
You may be able to claim Council Tax Support or second adult reduction to help you pay your Council Tax.
If you are about to claim Universal Credit (UC), the application form will ask if you want to claim help with your Council Tax. They may call this ‘Council Tax Reduction’. If you answer yes to this, they will send us the claim details and your claim will start from the same day you get UC.
If you are not about to claim Universal Credit (UC), complete our online claim form.