Housing Benefit: Can it be paid into a bank account?

Barcode

I receive a weekly cheque. I usually cash them the week before my rent is due (4 at a time) to clear in time when the direct debit goes out on the last working day of the month. Does anybody know if it's possible to get HB paid direct into your bank account? Or do you just have to accept however the council choose to do it?

I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. It would just be slightly easier for me to manage my incomings and outgoings as I like to do my banking on-line. Asking here first, as I try to avoid dealing with the local benefits office unless I have no choice, and think this would be a straightforward enough question. Cheers.

Eager_Elephant

Hi Barcode

If you were a claimant in my benefit area they would bite your hand off for you to have payment by BACS.

It will save time and money for them and save time for you.

I'm not sure about weekly payments though, in my area people are paid fortnightly or 4 weekly unless you are a council tenant. The fortnightly ones are people who have been on benefits a long time and still require fortnightly payments. All new people who claim housing benefit get it 4 weekly which unfortunately some landlords fail to comprehend.

It may mean you going over to 4 weekly payments but you come across as being able to handle that so I say give them a ring as soon as possible.

EE

turbodiesel

Its been a while since i claimed housing benefit, but if its still the same then your answer is yes.
When i made my claim for housing benefit, i was given the option of providing my landlords details and the payment was then made directly to my landlord without me having to worry about direct debits or anything to do with my bank at all