Payment of benefit

The way we pay Housing Benefit will depend on the type of tenancy you have.

Renting from a Housing Association

If you are renting from a Housing Association, payments of Housing Benefit can either be sent to you every two weeks or sent to your landlord every four weeks.

Renting from a private landlord

If you pay rent to a private landlord and Housing Benefit is paid based on the Local Housing Allowance scheme. Payments will normally be made directly into your bank account every two weeks.

For payments to go directly to your landlord you will need to fulfil one of the following criteria:

You are classed as a vulnerable person
You are in arrears with your rent by eight weeks or more
You have requested payments to go direct to your landlord on the basis they have kept your rent at a reasonable figure.

If you would like payments made to your landlord, you will need to complete Direct Payment to Landlord Decision form and provide evidence to support your request.

Direct Payment to Landlord Decision form

Renting from a private landlord- non Local Housing Allowance

If you rent from a private landlord and your rent is referred to the Rent Officer, you can have benefit paid to you or your landlord without having to meet any of the above criteria.

Payments sent to you, will be made every two weeks, payments sent to your landlord, will be made every four weeks.

Renting from the council

If you are renting from the council your Housing Benefit will be paid directly to your rent account every week.

Council Tax Reduction payments

Council Tax Reduction is credited to your Council Tax account and a new bill is issued with changed instalment amounts.