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Payments and benefits.

Discretionary Housing Payments ( DHP ) are extra payments to help towards rent and/or Council Tax.

They may be paid to people getting Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit who need short term extra help towards their housing costs.

The Government gives a limited amount of money each year for DHP .

We then have to decide who this money is paid to. These are not benefit payments and you should not rely on a payment being made.

Apply for DHP

You will need to fill in a claim form answering all the questions. It is important that you tell us as much as possible about your circumstances and you will need to provide evidence to support your claim.

We need to see original documents to support your claim.

You can either call us on 020 8708 4506 and we can send you a form
Download an application form (75kb) print it out and return it to the address on the form
Or collect one from the Payments, Benefit and Customer Services Offices

How much can I get and for how long?

Each request for a DHP is looked at individually and the amount would depend on your circumstances. We cannot pay more than your total rent (whether or not includes service charges and bills)

We have a limited amount of money available for these payments so it is likely that you would only be given financial assistance for a short period. The DHP scheme is meant to help by giving you the chance to sort our your debts and/or give you time to find cheaper accommodation. We are not able to use this scheme to help you in the long term.

Who can apply for the Discretionary Housing Payments ( DHP )?

Anyone can apply for DHP however it does not mean that you will get it. This usually goes to people who are really struggling to meet their day to day financial needs.

What are the factors that we look at?

We will look at all your circumstances to decide whether you will suffer exceptional hardship if the shortfall in your rent and/or council tax is not met.

We will look at the following things to help us make the decision:

Your income, savings and assets
If the accommodation is suitable for your needs
How reasonable your rent payments are
If there is anyone else who is able to help you
Any loans or debts you have
If it is reasonable that you could manage your money better
If you have tried to sort things out yourself
If you have anyone in your family who has any health problems
If there is a genuine risk of eviction if the shortfall is not met
If you can move to cheaper suitable alternative accommodation.

What should I do if I disagree with the decision?

DHP ’s are not benefit payments so you do not have the right to appeal to the Tribunals Service. However, if you are not happy you can ask us to look at the decision again.

You should write to us straight away telling us why you do not agree with our decision.

What happens next?

Once we have received your application we will aim to have assessed it within 14 working days. We will then write to you and let you know if you have been successful or not. If you are successful then the DHP ’s will be paid along with your next Housing Benefits payment.

What if my circumstances change?

If your circumstances change you need to tell us straight away by writing to:

London Borough of Redbridge, Payments, Benefits and Customer Services, PO Box 1354, 22-26 Clements Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1LF

We will look at your DHP again to see if we need to change it. If the change means we have to reduce your DHP, you may have to pay back some of the money we have already paid to you.

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