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People of working age

If you receive income support, income based jobseeker’s allowance or income related employment support allowance we will not need any details about your income because we can get this information from the Department for Work and Pensions.

If you do not receive any of the above state benefits we will need to know about any income you or your partner has. We will also need to know about your savings. Normally if you have savings over £16,000 you will not be entitled to Housing or Council Tax Reduction. This does not stop you claiming Second Adult Rebate.

Types of income are as follows:

  • earnings, wages or salary from your/your partners job
  • other state benefits such as Working Tax Credit
  • pension from you or your partner’s previous employer
  • annuities (income you receive from an amount you have invested with an insurance company)
  • rent you receive from lodgers or subtenants
  • maintenance you receive from a former partner

Savings include:

  • bank accounts, building society accounts and post office savings
  • PEPs, TESSAs and ISAs
  • stocks, shares and unit trusts
  • cash
  • property or land you own but not the home you live in

Pensioners

If you receive pension credit, either guarantee credit or savings credit (or both) we will not need any details about your income or savings because we will can get this information from the Pension Service. For everything else we need to know about the income you and your partner get and also about the savings you have.

Types of income are as follows:

  • state pension
  • earnings, wages or salary from your/your partners job
  • pension from your or your partner’s previous employer
  • annuities (income you receive from an amount you have invested with an insurance company)
  • other state benefits
  • rent you receive from lodgers or subtenants
  • maintenance you receive from a former partner

Savings include:

  • bank accounts, building society accounts and post office savings
  • PEPs, TESSAs and ISAs
  • stocks, shares and unit trusts
  • cash
  • property or land you own but not the home you live in

You can email the documents to benefits@east-ayrshire.gov.uk or post them to:

Civic Centre North
John Dickie Street
Kilmarnock
KA1 1HW

Calculation of Housing Benefit

We can award a maximum Housing Benefit of up to 100% of the rent. Restrictions may apply for properties rented from a private landlord (the Rent Registration Service provides information to East Ayrshire Council on the maximum amount of Housing Benefit that can be considered).

If you rent from the Council or a Housing Association your rent may also be restricted if you live in a property that is considered too large for you and your family. These restrictions only apply to people of a working age. If you are under-occupying your house by one bedroom your Housing Benefit will be restricted by 14% and if you have two or more bedrooms than you need your Housing Benefit will be restricted by 25%.

Currently the Scottish Government provide funding to pay the shortfall for the under-occupation charge. You will need to submit an application to receive this but you will not need to renew this every year. An application form is available on the Discretionary Housing Payment page.   

We base your Housing Benefit on your weekly income minus your weekly applicable amount (the figure the government sets to reflect the day to day living expenses of the claimant(s) and their family).

If your weekly income is less than your weekly applicable amount, you will qualify for the maximum Housing Benefit available, minus any deduction made for any other adults living in the house (non-dependent deductions).

Contact Information

Benefits Section
PO BOX 13
John Dickie Street
Kilmarnock
East Ayrshire
KA1 1BY
Telephone: 01563 554400