You can claim Housing Benefit for a mobile home if you have a low income or receive benefits. Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent or site fees.

Yes. You can make a claim for Housing Benefit towards your rent and site fees in the usual way.

Mobile homes include caravans occupied by people with a travelling tradition, such as Gypsies and Travellers.

If you live in a universal credit area, you will have to claim housing costs under universal credit instead. To check if you are in a universal credit area, click here.

Yes. You can get Housing Benefit towards the pitch fees even if you own your mobile home.

The rent officer at the council will decide what the ‘maximum rent’ payable for your mobile home is. They should work this out by looking at rents for similar properties in your area. They should look at traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ homes as well as mobile homes.

The maximum amount of rent that qualifies for Housing Benefit can only be restricted if:

• the council says your mobile home is too large for your needs
• the rent is unreasonably high.

This applies if you stay on a council owned site or live in a mobile home or caravan provided by a council on a travellers’ site.

For more advice and support visit the Travelling Ahead website.

If you get some Housing Benefit but are having difficulty paying the rest of the rent yourself, you may be able to get a discretionary housing payment to help make up the difference.