Balancing act
Question
I have a full-time job and rent my own home. But despite working hard and being careful with my money my income is less than my monthly outgoings. I am barely surviving at the moment. Is there a chance I could be entitled to some help?
Answer
The majority of benefits that people are entitled to are 'means tested'. This means the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will look at your income and savings to see if you are entitled to any help.
Each person is dealt with individually, so it's not possible to say whether or not you are entitled to any help. But you might be entitled to some help with your council tax and rent through and Local Housing Allowance - the new name the new way of calculating Housing Benefit for private tenants. Because you're under 25 the amount of housing benefit you may be entitled to will be restricted to what is called the single room rate.
If you're slipping into debt you may want to contact your local Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) or National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 where you will be able to get free advice about dealing with debt.
Updated: 30/06/2008
Question answered by CAB
