Housing Benefit is a means-tested benefit that helps people on low incomes meet the cost of rented accommodation. The figures also include residents receiving Council Tax Support only. Claimants include a wide range of households, including pensioners, disabled people, carers and those in employment but on low incomes. Norwich's relatively low average earnings contribute to a higher level of reliance on income-related benefits compared with many other areas.

Table 3 shows that the number of Housing Benefit claimants in Norwich has remained relatively stable over the past year, fluctuating around 13,000 claimants. While there were several month-to-month changes, including notable decreases in December 2025 and March 2026, these were partly offset by increases in April and May 2026. Overall, the claimant count fell from 13,263 in July 2025 to 13,170 in July 2026, representing a modest annual decrease of 93 claimants (0.7%).