Will housing benefit help with deposit

newsgirl

Would an older, retired tenant who has been given two months' notice as per his lease be able to get any help from housing benefit for the deposit on a new rented property? Housing benefit is currently paying his rent.

He will get the deposit on the flat back, the letting agent currently has it in a protected account, but the agent says it could be a couple of weeks after the tenant moves out, and without it he is unable to rent anywhere else.

Because he is on housing benefit he says he is not able to get a loan for the new deposit which surprises me because he would be able to repay it within a few weeks when he gets the old one back.

Thanks for any info.

Dovah_diva

I don't think HB will pay the deposit, but his local council might have a deposit scheme he can apply to.

newsgirl

Thanks, I have emailed the council and asked them.

Robbie64

Housing Benefit can't be paid to help with deposits but Discretionary Housing Payments can help with things such as desposits and rent in advance. Each council is given an amount each year to use for DHPs to help people who receive Housing Benefit but who are having problems either paying their rent due to a shortfall in Housing Benefit or who need help with setting up a new tenancy.

The amount of money each council is given to spend on DHPs is limited and as it is discretionary each council can set its own list of priorities of who will get help and if so, how much help can be given. The pressure on DHP budgets has increased immensly since various benefit changes were introduced in April.

See http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/changes_to_local_housing_allowance/discretionary_housing_payments for further details.