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Discretionary Housing Payments
What are Discretionary Housing Payments?
The Council can award a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) where someone needs extra help with their ‘housing costs’. DHPs are not Housing or Council Tax Benefit, but you must be in receipt of one or both of these benefits to be able to claim.
We can consider awarding a DHP if there is a gap between the amount of rent or Council Tax you have to pay and the amount of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit you receive. In certain cases, the difference between the Housing Benefit we pay and the rent you are being charged maybe because there are certain parts of your rent, known as service charges, which Housing Benefit cannot cover. If this is the case, we cannot award a DHP for those amounts.
DHPs can be awarded to top up Housing or Council Tax Benefit, but the total amount cannot be more than your rent liability for Housing Benefit, or the amount of Council Tax you have to pay. The shortfall to these benefits may exist for a number of reasons, for example:
- Housing Benefit has been restricted under the maximum rent rules
- The presence of a non-dependent the household
- The level of income of the household
- Single Room Restriction, due to the claimant being under 25 years of age.
There are some charges that DHPs cannot cover, for example:
- Charges for water rates
- Charges for tenants levy
- Service charges (e.g. heating, hot water etc)
The amount of the DHP award depends on the your individual circumstances, and you must demonstrate that you are suffering from financial hardship due to the shortfall in your benefits. The award is intended as a short-term measure to alleviate poverty or difficult circumstances and should not be relied upon in the long term.
The funding for DHPs comes from Central Government and is limited each year, so when it has been spent no more awards can be made.
How do I apply for a DHP?
To apply for a DHP you will need to complete a one-page application form. The form will ask for a breakdown of your weekly expenditure and reasons why you are requesting additional financial help.
The breakdown of your expenditure should include details of how much you spend each week on such items as:
- Food
- Bills – electricity, gas, telephone
- Clothing
- Children’s expenses
- Travel costs
You must identify and list all your household expenses.
You do not normally have to provide details of your income as we obtain this information directly from your current Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claim.
You can obtain advice on the Policy and Procedure for claiming a DHP or Apply here for Discretionary Housing Payment. You can also telephone the DHP Admin Centre on 0114 273 6983 or apply in writing to the Discretionary Housing Payment Administration Centre at the following address:
Discretionary Housing Payment Administration Centre
PO Box 1283
Town Hall
Sheffield
S1 1UJ
The application form is also available at various sites across the city, including advice centres and Housing Aid.
The completed form needs to be returned to the above address.
What happens next?
Once your claim has been assessed, you will be informed of the decision in writing.
How will the DHP be paid?
A DHP will normally be awarded for a maximum of 13 weeks from the date that the claim for the DHP was processed. The DHP will be paid as a single lump sum payment.
- If you are a Council (Sheffield Homes) Tenant, the DHP will be paid directly to your Rent and Council Tax accounts
- If you are an Owner Occupier, the DHP will be paid directly to your Council Tax account
- If you are a Private Tenant, the DHP will be paid under the same arrangements as Housing Benefit (i.e. either directly to yourself or directly to your landlord)
What do I do if I disagree with your decision?
If you do not agree with our DHP decision you can write and ask us to look at your application again. To do this you must write to the Discretionary Housing Payment Administration Centre within one calendar month of the date of the decision letter, providing any additional information that you feel may help your application. We will then review our decision and write to you with the outcome.
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