Housing benefit

Hello, this is my 1st post and I am hoping someone will be able to answer my question on housing benefit.
A bit of background - my husband left on NY Eve and I am still in the family home which had been on the market for the last 5 weeks. Once the house is sold I will be looking to rent privately. I have spoken to the council and have been told that I am entiltled to housing benefit of approx £120 pw.
My sister has offered to lend me the deposit and the first 6 months rent on the house I end up in, to take the pressure and worries off me for a while as I am having a hell of a tough time.
My question is, am I entitled to weekly housing benefit even if the rent on the house has been paid in advance?? as it is only a loan from my sister, i need to start to pay her back as soon as I can.
I would be grateful for any advice

This is quite difficult, as the housing benefit forms will ask you for any income, money owed, gifts etc. Technically, you ought to declare that as income, although there is certainly an argument that a loan is not income that should be declared.

If you are entitled to housing benefit, why would you need your rent to be paid 6 months in advance? Housing Benefit, at the moment, is paid fortnightly in arrears, therefore I would expect that you should only need to borrow the deposit and perhaps first month''s rent to pay up front?

I agree with u6 that you will probably have to declare any money you borrow of your sister. My student loans were taken into account even though i have to pay them back at some point.

It is also worth pointing out that housing benefits payments vary. Some boroughs pay on a four weekly cycle.