A Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) is a short term payment awarded to people who need help paying their rent.
You need to fall under one of these categories to claim a Discretionary Housing Payment:
- you are entitled to Housing Benefit
- you receive a Housing Cost Element as part of your Universal Credit award
You must also show that you are unable to pay your rent.
We have limited funds for DHP. Awards are payable for a period 6 or 12 months, depending on your circumstances.
If you're affected by the spare room subsidy (bedroom tax), the shortfall in your rent will be met if you apply.
Here are a few examples of circumstances where DHP may be awarded:
- you are affected by the shared room rate as you are under 35
- the local housing allowance (LHA) rate does not cover the cost of your rent
- you are not entitled to full Housing Benefit
- your Universal Credit housing cost element does not cover your full rent charge
- you have higher living costs because you are sick or disabled
DHP can cover any shortfall in your rent caused by the Benefit Cap being applied to either your Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. You are still required to complete an application.
How to claim
The application form asks you to:
- provide evidence of your expenses
- explain why you can't afford your rent (for example, a large increase in your rent charge)
If you need help completing the application form, call us on 03451 55 11 55 between 9am and 5pm. You can also book a telephone or in-person appointment with a Customer Service Advisor.
If you require an interpreter to be at your appointment, do not book online. Call 03451 55 11 55 (option 2) and we will arrange this for you.
We may write to you for further information. Once we receive this, we'll make a decision on your application.
