Discretionary Housing Payments, extra help if you are in dire need!

Karfypie

I just found out about the council giving out discretionary housing payments to people who already get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit. They payments that you can get if there is a specific reason for why you are having great difficulty to pay off the shortfall in your benefit. Say if you have a specific expense that month.

Here is the info on my local council's website http://www.welhat.gov.uk/advicebenefits/benefits/discretionaryhousingpayments

Go to your local council website and hopefully they will have some info too or just call up your council and ask for a Discretionary Housing Payment Application form. Apparently there is an amount of money that is allocated for this each year and so say if not many people apply in that year then I guess you have better chance for getting it. It was only my housing officer who told me about this, I don't think the council go about telling anyone!

Hope it can help! :j take care karfy xxxxxxxxx

dmg24

Thanks Karfypie.

Just to clarify:

* They are not necessarily one off payments, they can be paid long term.
* They are for extraordinary circumstances only (such as requiring a larger property due to disability), and would not be paid just to cover an additional expense one month.

Karfypie

dmg24 wrote: »

Thanks Karfypie.

Just to clarify:

* They are not necessarily one off payments, they can be paid long term.
* They are for extraordinary circumstances only (such as requiring a larger property due to disability), and would not be paid just to cover an additional expense one month.

Thanks, I changed my mistake of thinking it might be a one off payment.

This is what it says on the website 'We can only pay a DHP under exceptional circumstances - for example during a period where you have unforeseen expenses.'

Its worth applying!

lil_me

dmg24 yes they can be paid longer term but the maximum they will usually ok at a time is about 6 weeks, the person would then need to keep reapplying, I know someone who's partner left her recently and the HB didn't cover anywhere near the rent so she's like a yoyo at the housing office every 4 weeks as this is all they keep awarding her. Not easy when the girl had major back surgery recently and I have shouted at her telling her to get them to send the forms out.

They do question why you took out the tenancy when you knew the level of rent due etc.

I can imagine with the LHA effecting rent shortfall there will be many more demands on the DHP fund.

Like with many things, if the worst they can say is no (I don't think there is any rights of appeal with DHPs) then it's worth asking.

dmg24

lil_me wrote: »

dmg24 yes they can be paid longer term but the maximum they will usually ok at a time is about 6 weeks, the person would then need to keep reapplying, I know someone who's partner left her recently and the HB didn't cover anywhere near the rent so she's like a yoyo at the housing office every 4 weeks as this is all they keep awarding her. Not easy when the girl had major back surgery recently and I have shouted at her telling her to get them to send the forms out.

They do question why you took out the tenancy when you knew the level of rent due etc.

I can imagine with the LHA effecting rent shortfall there will be many more demands on the DHP fund.

Like with many things, if the worst they can say is no (I don't think there is any rights of appeal with DHPs) then it's worth asking.

I know of someone who has been in receipt of a DHP continuously for two years. They only need to notify the LA if they have a change in entitlement to DLA.

Also, remember that LHA is not causing shortfalls everywhere! x

Karfypie

I was just wondering, what sort of circumstances do they give discretionary payments for long term? It says exceptional, do you know what that really means?

Thanks!

lil_me

I think it's effecting shortfall everywhere, only difference is if it's lower or higher, but in our area a 3 bed rent allowance wouldn't cover most 2 beds so that's going to effect things a bit here.

I spoke to a housing benefit officer who is in charge of authorising the DHPs in the area my friend lives in (different district to me but same county so different council, just to confuse) about that and she stated there was a maximum time she could authorise a DHP for (inc the fact this girls on Higher rate DLA both elements) which was 6 weeks but her managers prefered for her to stick to 4 weeks so she couldn't help further. She also said when the AST period ends they tend to stop paying DHPs which has left Claudia even more paranoid as hers is up in August and finding somewhere suitable any cheaper is a nightmare.

Postcode lottery then isn't it?

suelees1

Karfypie wrote: »

I was just wondering, what sort of circumstances do they give discretionary payments for long term? It says exceptional, do you know what that really means?

Thanks!

There's nothing specific in the regs. It normally means extra expenditure over and above what your benefits should cover or what you're normally spending. You have to send in an income and expendiute form to show you're struggling financially.

LAs differ in the length of time they award them. But you can keep renewing the application

Link to Shelter Scotland but it's the same in England.

http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-2540.cfm