<P> New or re-entrants into the country (including British Citizens) may also be excluded from Housing Benefit . </P> <P> Since April 2008, new private sector benefit claimants receive housing benefit under revised rent restriction rules called Local Housing Allowance . From April 2017 people between the ages of 18 and 21 will not ordinarily be entitled to housing benefit . There are fears this will increase homelessness . </P> <P> Housing benefit was transferred from the Department of Social Security to local authorities in 1982 . This was to coincide with increasing deregulation of the private sector rental market as it was felt at the time that local authorities would have a better understanding of local rental market conditions than the DSS . Its full transfer took place in 1989 as part of a major reform of social security legislation which also saw the introduction of Income Support . </P> <P> Housing Benefit will only meet the pure rent costs of any liability . Central to benefit decisions is an assessment of eligible rent and ineligible services . Eligible rent is that part of the rent paid by a person which can legally be covered by housing benefit . Ineligible services are the parts of the claimant's rent liability that he must meet himself . Ineligible services include such things as the cost of heating, lighting, water rates, meals and any general counselling and support that may be included in the rent charged but will not be met by Housing Benefit . </P>

When was housing benefit introduced in the uk