Extra help with housing costs

If you are facing financial difficulties and need help paying your rent and household costs, we may be able to help you with a short term, one-off Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).

We have a limited amount of money, each year, to support those who need extra financial support. You may get a DHP to cover housing costs for:

• a rent shortfall
• rent deposits
• rent in advance if you need to move home.

Discretionary Housing Payments are not a benefit and should not be seen as a permanent solution. If you are on a low income or struggling to make ends meet, you should seek help and advice on how to manage you budget and make your money go further.

You may also be able to apply for the Resident Support Fundand you can see what other support is available to help with heating and household bills.

You can apply for DHP if you:

• live in Brent 
• have a liability to pay rent
• receive Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit 
• are unable to meet your housing costs without additional assistance.

There are a number of criteria that we must consider before an award can be made. When assessing your application we will look at your circumstances and that of your household, if your Housing Benefits have been reduced and the type of housing costs you require assistance with.

There is no set amount for Discretionary Housing Payments. We will decide whether to award a DHP, how much to award, and for how long.

The amount you get could cover all or part of your shortfall in rent or the costs of taking up a tenancy.

You must apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment before we can make an award.

You can do this online, using My Account.

Before you start

Make sure you have all the information you need to hand before you start.

To complete the application for DHP you will need the following information:

• National Insurance number
• Housing Benefit reference number, if you are receiving Housing Benefit
• income details, including amounts you receive
• expenses and how you spend your money each week
• details of any arrears or debts you have and the repayment amounts.

When you complete your form, you must upload the following evidence at the same time:

• last two months of bank or building society statements for each account you (and your partner) hold. The statements must display your full name and address
• full tenancy agreement
• full statement from you landlord, confirming your rent arrears from the period that the arrears began to accrue to date.

If you do not upload the information with the form, this will delay your application.

When completing your form, it will be helpful if you tell us why you think you need extra help. You should include information such as:

• a change in your circumstances which makes it more difficult for you to meet the shortfall
• any disabilities or illnesses you or a member of your family may have
• how your disability or illness may affect you financially
• income and spending, including debts.

Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment

Make sure you have all the information you need to hand before you start. You will get a decision faster if you provide this when you make your claim.

If you don’t already have an account, it only takes a couple of minutes to set up. All you need to get started is an email address to use as a log in.  

Once you have registered, then you need to activate your benefits portal to apply.

We will look at the information you provided to see if you are eligible for DHP. If you are, we will decide how much you will be paid and for how long.

We aim to process your application within 20 working days; you will receive confirmation from us once we have made a decision. 

The total weekly amount you receive from Housing Benefit and DHP will not exceed your weekly rent.

If you are successful, DHP will be paid to you or your landlord.

There is no right of appeal against a DHP decision. You can however ask us to look at the decision again. If your circumstances change, you can reapply.