A-Z of Services

How and when will my benefit get paid?

Council Tax Benefit: Council Tax Benefit is automatically credited to your Council Tax account. After your benefit has been calculated you will be sent a revised Council Tax bill showing your benefit award for the financial year. This bill will also show you any remaining balance and provide details of your new monthly payments.

Council Tenants:

Your Housing Benefit will be automatically credited to your rent account every Monday.
If you do not receive enough Housing Benefit to cover your full rent charge you will still need to make regular payments of the difference or you will fall into arrears.

Private Tenants who wish to receive their Housing Benefit direct to themselves:

Most private tenants covered by Local Housing Allowance will get their Housing Benefit payments sent direct to their nominated bank account. These payments will be sent every fortnight.

All other private tenants also have the right to ask for their benefit payments to themselves. They will receive payment every fortnight in the manner requested.

Private Tenants who request that their Housing Benefit is paid directly to their landlords:

If you are a tenant of a Housing Association or you not being paid under the Local Housing Allowance scheme you can opt to have your Housing Benefit paid to your landlord. If you wish to have your benefit paid directly to your landlord we will need to have their agreement to do so before we can start making payments. If you ask for direct payments to your landlord, payment will be made every 4 weeks by BACS transfer.

Application for Direct Payment to Landlord
Local Housing Allowance Safeguard Policy

Circumstances whereby the Council might override your payment wishes:

Rent Arrears:

If the Council becomes aware that you are in arrears with your rent by 8 weeks or more, the Council have the right, in agreement with your landlord, to send your Housing Benefit payments direct to your landlord. This arrangement can continue until the arrears have reduced to less than 8 weeks.

Vulnerable tenants:

For tenants that are unable to manage their affairs or who demonstrate that they are unlikely to pay their rent despite being in receipt of Housing Benefit, the Council retains the option, in agreement with the tenant’s landlord, for Housing Benefit payments to be made directly to their landlord.

Application for Direct Payment to Landlord

Application for Direct Payment to Landlord – Word format 77Kb

Application for Direct Payment to Landlord – PDF format 56Kb

Application for Direct Payment to Landlord – Plain Text format 187Kb

LHA Safeguard Policy

LHA Safeguard Policy – Word format 106Kb

LHA Safeguard Policy – PDF format 94Kb

LHA Safeguard Policy – Plain Text format 1.2Mb

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