Universal Credit Housing Costs Element - I'm a homeowner. How much will I get?

The Universal Credit (UC) housing costs element doesn't help with mortgage payments or secure loan repayments. You may get help through Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) to help with interest payments. This is separate from your claim for Universal Credit. Please read our Support for Mortgage Interest Loan guide for more detailed information about this loan.

If you aren't sure whether your property is a leasehold, you can check the leasehold property guidance on GOV.UK.

Help with service charges

If you pay service charges, you may get help through Universal Credit. Service charges can include using shared facilities, window cleaning of upper floors, repairs, and maintenance.

You normally have to serve a waiting period (see below) of approximately nine months from the date of your Universal Credit claim before you can receive this help.

You cannot get help with service charges if you have any earnings at all. This includes:

• earnings from your work or self-employment
• a tax refund
• Statutory Sick Pay
• Statutory Maternity Pay
• Statutory Paternity Pay
• Statutory Adoption Pay
• Statutory Shared Parental Pay

Waiting period

You will not receive a housing costs element for the first nine months after qualifying to have one included in your award. This is called a 'qualifying period'.

Throughout the waiting period, you cannot have any earned income. 

If you were receiving Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) immediately prior to your Universal Credit claim, the time spent on that benefit can count towards your qualifying period.

If you were already getting help with service charges paid as part of your Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA in the month before you claimed Universal Credit, you will not have a waiting period before you get help with service charges in your Universal Credit.