Crisis and Resilience Fund - Housing Payment

What a Housing Payment can cover

Housing Payments will usually be for a shortfall between rent liability and the amount paid through benefits. This may be due to:

  • The Local Housing Allowance being lower than your rent
  • A Benefit Cap reduction
  • Reduction in eligible rent due to under occupation in a social housing property (commonly referred to as Bedroom Tax)
  • A Rent Officer decision being lower than the actual rent 
  • Non Dependant Deductions
  • Entitlement to a qualifying benefit reduced due to other income, such as earnings

Housing Payments can also cover:

  • Rent in advance/deposit
  • Arrears of rent (in certain circumstances)
  • Other lump sum costs associated with a housing need such as moving costs.

A Housing Payment cannot cover:

  • Ineligible service charges such as water, gas, electric and support charges
  • Court costs and other increases in rent due to outstanding rent arrears
  • Reduction in Housing Benefit or Universal Credit due to overpayment recovery
  • Any reduction of benefits due to a sanction or Loss of Benefit penalty
  • Council Tax liability
  • Rent arrears where Housing Benefit or Universal Credit has paid
  • Rent arrears for a period where no Housing Benefit or Universal Credit was paid