Benefits - When and how will my benefits be paid?

Normally, entitlement to benefit will start either from Monday following the receipt of your application form or your first point of contact with our department, assuming that all requested documentation is received within the given time limits (usually one month).

In certain circumstances you can ask for your benefit to be backdated.

Council Tax Benefit and Second Adult Rebate

If you are awarded any Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate, then this will be paid directly into your Council Tax account, which will reduce your bill.

Housing Benefits

If you are awarded any Housing Benefit and you rent your home from the Council ( Rent Rebate), then this will be credited directly to your rent account on a weekly basis, which will reduce the amount of rent you will have to pay.

If you are awarded any Housing Benefit and you rent your home from a Private Landlord ( Rent Allowance) and come under the Local Housing Allowance scheme we will usually pay direct to you via BACS (Bankers Automated Clearing Service). Under the LHA scheme we will only pay direct to the Landlord or Agent in exceptional circumstances:

You are considered unable to deal with your financial affairs, due to medical / dependency reasons etc.
You are now considered unlikely to pay your rent based on past problems with arrears etc.

Each case will be decided on its own merits and reviewed regularly - how often will depend on the reasons given.

If you are in arrears of 8 weeks rent or more.

This reason is not discretionary; it is part of the regulations just as it is for Housing Benefit. The Landlord or Agent would request this change in payments. Usually proof of the arrears would be required and payments would revert back to you once the arrears were cleared.

Even if the payments go to the Landlord / Agent, any excess you are entitled to will still be paid to you.

Please click here for our Direct Payments Policy.

Click here to download a Landlord Payments form for completion by Landlords

Click here to download a Landlord Payments form for completion by Tenants

If you are awarded any Housing Benefit and you rent your home from a Registered Social Landlord ( Rent Allowance) we can either pay direct to the tenant or to the Landlord.

What is Housing Benefit?

What is Council Tax Benefit?

What is Second Adult Rebate?

Who may or may not claim?

Do I qualify for any help?

How can I make a claim?

Please click here for Benefits - Payment Dates

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