It is important that you contact us so we can help you to find a solution. If you allow rent arrears to build up, you could face legal action and even eviction from your home.
Managed Payment to Landlord (MPTL) – If you have struggled with receiving monthly payments of Universal Credit or have had trouble budgeting you may be able to have an Alternative Payment Arrangement. As your landlord we can apply for an APA on your behalf. This way the Housing Element of your benefit can be paid to us direct, taking the hassle out of managing this yourself. For more information on this please contact us. APA’s are reviewed after 6 months.
Fortnightly payment – you can request through your work coach to be paid fortnightly instead of monthly if this helps you to budget.
A DHP is a means tested fund which could help if your Universal Credit or housing benefit doesn’t cover the rent. To make a claim for this go direct to your own local authority via the links below.
If you need help applying, or if you have questions about Discretionary Housing Payments, contact your Neighbourhood Service Officer who will be happy to help you through the process. Please get in touch with us if you would like help to complete the forms.
If you are refused a DHP, you may be eligible for our limited hardship fund to help you pay your rent. To be assessed you must be effected by Welfare Reform for example bedroom tax, benefit cap and or Universal Credit Full to be assessed. We will need to do an affordability assessment with you and your outgoing must outweigh your income. Contact your Neighbourhood Service Officer or call us on 0300 365 1111 for more details.
You can get a loan from £100 to help pay for emergency household costs (for example buying a new cooker) or for help getting a job or staying in work. This is called a Budgeting Advance. You’ll repay it through your regular Universal Credit payments. To get a Budgeting Advance, you must have:
Apply for your budgeting advance by calling the free Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 (Monday – Friday, 8am – 6pm).
Universal Credit is replacing 6 benefits but this does not include council tax support. You must apply separately for any support. You can get in touch with us if your require assistance, or you can apply directly online here or you can get in touch with us if your require assistance.
It can be very difficult to have a council tax support entitlement backdated, so when you migrate over to Universal Credit that you remember to apply for Council Tax support.