Discretionary Housing Payments
This information applies to England and Wales.
If your rent comes to more than your benefit, you might be eligible to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP). You could also apply to cover your deposit when you move.
You can apply whether you are in social housing or have a private tenancy, but you must be getting Housing Benefit, or the housing element of Universal Credit.
You do not need to repay a Discretionary Housing Payment.
Warning Decisions are up to your council
Your local council decides whether to award a Discretionary Housing Payment, based on budgets. You could be eligible to apply, but may not get a payment.
When your rent is more than your benefit
There might be several reasons why your Housing Benefit, or the housing element of your Universal Credit, is not enough to cover your rent.
For example:
- You rent privately, and the Local Housing Allowance is less than the amount of your rent.
- You have a spare bedroom, so your benefit has been reduced. This is sometimes known as the “bedroom tax”.
- There are adults living with you who are not your dependants, so your benefit has been reduced.
If you are in this situation, and you are struggling to pay your rent, you could apply for an ongoing Discretionary Housing Payment to make up for this. Your council would decide how long you get the payment for and they will let you know the end date.
For example: Your private landlord put up your rent by £10 a month 6 months ago, and your benefit stayed the same. You are now in arrears by £60. You could apply for a £60 Discretionary Housing Payment to cover this.
You cannot apply for a payment to cover rent arrears if your benefit was enough to cover your rent when you went into arrears.
Rent increases due to arrears
If your rent payment is going up because you have rent arrears, you cannot apply for an ongoing Discretionary Housing Payment to cover this increase. You can apply for a single payment to pay off the arrears.
For example: Your Housing Benefit was reduced because a parent moved in with you. You are now in arrears by £100, and your landlord wants to increase your rent to cover the arrears.
You cannot apply for an ongoing Discretionary Housing Payment to cover the rent increase, but you can apply for a £100 single payment to clear the arrears, so your rent will not go up.
When you apply for this single payment, you can also ask for an ongoing payment to cover the amount that your benefit has been reduced by, so you do not fall into arrears again.
Tenancy deposit or rent in advance
If you are moving house and cannot afford the deposit, advance rent or removal costs, you could apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment to cover this. You must be getting Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit to apply.
Your council might also have a rent deposit guarantee scheme to help with deposits. Get in touch with your local council to see what they offer.
What DHP cannot cover
You cannot use a Discretionary Housing Payment to pay for furniture or household items.
If you are struggling with these kinds of costs, or if you have been refused a DHP, there might be other grant schemes you can apply to, such as:
- local welfare assistance schemes run by your council
- independent charities that offer grants
Apply for DHP
Each council has their own Discretionary Housing Payment form, although they will all want information about your finances.
Turn2us has a detailed guide on how to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment.
How do I claim a Discretionary Housing Payment? (Turn2us)
If your application is refused
There is no right to appeal if your application is rejected, but you can ask the council to review the decision.
How do I challenge a Discretionary Housing Payment decision? (Turn2us)
Last reviewed by Scope on: 31/01/2024
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