Payments of Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance

Payments of Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance will normally be made direct to your bank account every two weeks for the previous two weeks. 

You can make a request to have benefits paid directly into your bank account by completing our online form.

Please indicate on the form that you want to have your Housing Benefit paid directly to your account. You will need to provide the full names of the account holders, the name of the bank, the account type (for example, deposit or current), your bank account number and sort code for the account that the payment is to be made to.

If you need help completing this form, please contact us on telephone number 01642 393829.

We may be able to pay your benefit direct to your landlord. However special rules apply if you are getting Local Housing Allowance (see below). If your benefit is paid direct to your landlord, we will send them a payment every four weeks for the previous four weeks.        

• Request to have Housing Benefit paid direct to your landlord - This form needs to be printed or typed in full and returned to us. Please note, you will need to save this form to your PC before completing it online.

Payments of Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance will normally be paid to you and it is your responsibility to pay your landlord. Only in limited circumstances will payment be made to your landlord. These include:

• If you are in arrears with your rent by 8 weeks or more.

• If it is considered that you are ‘unlikely to pay’ your rent.

• If you have difficulty managing your money.

Payments of Local Housing Allowance can also be made direct to your landlord if we consider it will help you to secure a new tenancy or to remain in your home. In order to show the tenancy has been secured or retained, the rent level must be reduced to an affordable level, usually the level of your Local Housing Allowance Rate.

We have developed a Safeguarding Policy which outlines the circumstances when we can consider paying your Local Housing Allowance to your landlord.

• Request direct payments of Local Housing Allowance to your Landlord - This form needs to be printed or typed in full and returned to us. Please note, you will need to save this form to your PC before completing it electronically.

• Find out how you can get advice and guidance about Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.

Further information

If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, please contact us using our online contact form.

Contact us online about Benefits