In special circumstances you may be able to receive a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) if you have a shortfall between the amount of Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit paid, and your contractual rent.
You can only apply for discretionary housing payments if you are already in receipt of Housing Benefit or if you are getting the housing cost element of Universal Credit.
DHP’s can be used to pay for:
Rent shortfalls
Rent deposits
Removal cost
Rent in advance
They are awarded at our discretion and the money available is limited. This means that awards are usually only made for short periods and are only given in cases of financial hardship.
Whether we award you a DHP and the amount of the award will depend on:
Your income and savings
How much you spend and what you spend it on
Your needs and those of your family
The circumstances of other people who live with you
Whether you have received a DHP in the past
What steps you are taking to resolve your predicament
If you receive Universal Credit you will need to provide:
Proof of your Universal Credit housing cost
Proof of your most recent 2 months Universal Credit awards
Your most recent tenancy agreement
Your landlords contact details
Your most recent bank statements
You cannot appeal against a DHP decision, but you can ask us to look at it again if you are not happy with the outcome of your application.
Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment
If you would like to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment you will need to complete an application online.
