This is an excellent summary for Housing Advisers about accessing Discretionary Housing Payments from our friends at Leeds Housing Options. It’s a bit technical, but so are all aspects of housing payments to people on low incomes (alas).
Given the current pressure on accessing private rented accomodation for new refugees, this info could not have come at a better time. (Thanks Cam and Harry).
- The claimant must be currently living in a property covered within the Leeds City Council area regardless of where their new address is. If they are not living in a property covered within the Leeds City Council area but want to move to Leeds, they must apply to the council they currently live in. Examples:
- Ahmed lives in Leeds and wants help for a bond or RIA for a property in Leeds. Apply to Leeds Council
- Blessing lives in Leeds and wants help for a bond or RIA for a property in Hull. Apply to Leeds Council
- Chaand lives in Manchester but wants to move to Leeds. Apply to Manchester Council
- The claimant must be in receipt of Housing Benefit or the Housing Allowance Element of Universal Credit at their current address but cannot sustain their tenancy. If they are living with parents or have no fixed abode and are not in receipt of one of those benefits, they are not eligible for DHP for a bond or RIA
- The claimant must be at risk of being made homeless (being evicted or landlord has sold or selling the property) OR their current property is too large for their needs and has a high rent, which is unaffordable.
If a claimant meets the above criteria, then they must:
- not be able to afford the bond or RIA themselves. Need to check if they have savings or if they paid bond at current address as they can use this to secure the new tenancy
- not have access to the appropriate bond or RIA from other sources such as Leeds Housing Options or Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) budgeting loan
- have found new accommodation at a more reasonable or affordable rent level similar to Local Housing Allowance rates. If, for example, they are entitled to 1 bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate of £524.99 a month, they need to look for rent similar to this figure. We would not award DHP for a bond or RIA to move to a property with rent of £800 a month if they have not demonstrated they can afford to pay the rent shortfall of £275.01 a month
- not have already signed the tenancy agreement or moved into the new property. An award can only be made to help secure a tenancy but if they’ve already signed the tenancy agreement or moved in, they have already secured the tenancy
- be asking for a bond or RIA amount that is reasonable. Please note that Discretionary Housing Payments do not cover administration costs
Please note:
- We cannot help with Bond AND RIA for the same property. We can only help with one. If both are required, the claimant must show they have secured one themselves before we can look at awarding the other
- Council and Housing Associations should not be asking for bonds or RIA to help secure a tenancy
- If DHP was awarded for RIA to help secure a tenancy, the claimant must repay it back to us when they’ve received Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing allowance payment for the same period. Otherwise, they would be receiving help for the same period twice.
If the claimant meets the above criteria, we will contact them for proof of the bond or RIA.
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