Discretionary Housing Payments

Every year the government gives local councils a pot of money to make Discretionary Housing Payments to help people who qualify for Housing Benefit (or the housing costs element of Universal Credit) who are having trouble with:

• paying their rent, or
• finding enough money to pay for the start-up costs of a tenancy, such as rent deposits and removal costs.

Many people have a shortfall between the Housing Benefit they get and the rent they have to pay.

If you are struggling to meet this shortfall then you can apply to your local council for a Discretionary Housing Payment.

You can also ask for a Discretionary Housing Payment if you are on Universal Credit and struggling to pay your rent.

To learn more, visit: www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments