Housing benefit regulations allow for ongoing payment of benefit while the claimant is absent from home in certain circumstances. The length of time during which benefit can be paid depends on the reasons for the claimant’s absence. A prisoner’s entitlement to continue to receive Housing Benefit while in custody depends on whether the person is on remand or sentenced.
The Centre for Policy Studies, a centre-right thinktank, has recommended changes to Support for Mortgage Interest to ensure that homeowners don't face repossession as a result of job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As COVID-19 continues to impact people across Northern Ireland, our advice teams are dealing with increasing demand for support and advice from people worried about their housing situation because of financial pressures or illness.
