For a student in receipt of BTEA who did not ever rent privately before starting college, can they apply for rent allowance on starting their course or alternatively after they have in receipt of BTEA and have been renting for 6 months?
Here is the information leaflet for Rent Supplement which outlines the qualifying criteria:
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If you have not rented before, you will have to have rented privately for 6 months and show that you were in a position to pay the rent for those 6 months, or have been assessed by the local authority as having a housing need in order to be eligible.