Discretionary Housing Payments

What are Discretionary Housing Payments?

The scheme helps people who, because of special circumstances, need extra short term financial help with their rent and council tax where Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit does not meet the full amount.

When can we make a Discretionary Housing Payment?

We can only make a Discretionary Housing Payment if we believe that your circumstances call for additional financial help to meet housing costs. These payments are entirely discretionary and each case is assessed on its individual merits. Both your finances and personal circumstances are carefully taken into account.

Examples of circumstances when a Discretionary Housing Payment may be awarded are:

• If you have extra expenses due to special circumstances such as someone being ill or in hospital
• If your Housing/Council Tax Benefit has been reduced, because you have been in hospital for more than 52 weeks
• If there are special reasons why you need to stay in a particular property, but the Rent Officer has restricted the amount of rent we use in the calculation

The above list only provides examples and does not cover all circumstances in which a Discretionary Housing Payment may be awarded.

When we can't make a Discretionary Housing Payment

You can't get this extra help:

• For water, meals, fuel or other ineligible service charges included in your rent
• To cover any shortfall in Housing Benefit that occurs due to an overpayment being recovered
• To pay a rent that is clearly excessive.

How are Discretionary Housing Payments paid?

Any Discretionary Housing Payment awarded for Council Tax will be made direct to your Council Tax account.

Any Discretionary Housing Payment awarded for eligible rent will be paid with your Housing Benefit either to you or direct to your Landlord.

How to apply for Discretionary Housing Payment

If you think that you need this extra help you should complete the Discretionary Housing Payments form. Please give as much information as possible to help us understand why your circumstances are special. All the information you give is confidential and we will only use it to see if we can give you extra help.

You should return the application to the address on the form.

If we need any extra information to make a decision, we will write to you.

After your application

If we decide we can make a Discretionary Housing Payment we will write to tell you how much you will be paid and for how long.

If we decide we can't make a Discretionary Housing Payment we will write and tell you the reasons for our decision. If you do not agree with our decision you can write to us and ask us to look at the decision again.

For more information see our Discretionary Housing Payments leaflet.