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Discretionery Housing payments
The Discretionery Housing Payment (DHP) scheme is available to give people extra help with their housing costs. They are not payments of housing benefit; they are an additional payment made at the discretion of the Housing Benefits Service where we consider that additional help is required.
To be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment you must be entitled to Housing and/or Council Tax benefit and have a shortfall to pay between your benefit payment that you receive and your rent or Council Tax charge. However we cannot pay Discretionary Housing Payments towards service charges that do not count for Housing benefit, for example charges for water, heating or meals.
The amount of the DHP award depends on your individual circumstances, and you must demonstrate that you are suffering from financial hardship due to the shortfall in your benefits. The award is intended as a short-term measure to alleviate poverty or difficult circumstances and should not be relied upon in the long term.
How do I apply?
If you would like to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) please print and complete the application form below. Alternatively if you would like more information or advice please contact the Housing Benefits Service.
What happens next?
Once your claim has been assessed, you will be informed of the decision in writing.
What do I do if I disagree with your decision?
If you do not agree with our DHP decision you can write to us and ask us to look at your application again. To do this you must write to the Housing Benefit Service within one calendar month of the date of the decision letter, providing any additional information that you feel may help your application. We will then review our decision and write to you with the outcome.
Associated documents:
Please click here for a Discretionery Housing Payment application form (0.04 MB)
