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Discretionary Housing Payments

A Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) is extra money the council can give you to help you pay your rent. This could include rent arrears, rent in advance or even a rental deposit.

DHPs are not benefits and are awarded at the discretion of the council. No one has the automatic right to payment, and should your application be refused you do not have the right of appeal.

Could I be considered for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP)?

To be considered for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).

You must be getting housing benefit in the benefit week you requested the DHP for.

Or

You must be getting the Housing element of Universal Credit and have a rental liability in the benefit week you requested the DHP for.

If you are not, then you cannot be considered for a DHP.

If I do qualify how much might I receive?

A Discretionary Housing Payment is only paid for a limited period and it’s there to temporarily help you whilst you find other ways of reducing your housing costs.

What do we consider when assessing a Discretionary Housing Payment?

As every person’s circumstances are different, we consider each case individually, but the government does set a limit on the amount the council can spend on DHPs. So, when we get a claim before we make a payment, we think about how much money is available and how many people may need help.

In deciding whether to award a DHP, here are some of the things we consider:

  • The financial circumstances of the household. This includes the capital and assets of household members along with their income and expenditure. 
  • The current Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate applicable to the contractual rent.
  • What steps the household have taken to increase their income and reduce their expenditure.
  • The level of debt the household has along with what arrangements they have made to reduce it.
  • What steps have been taken to try to reduce the rent for example have negotiations taken place with the landlord.
  • What steps have been taken to find cheaper accommodation for example are they on the waiting list for other accommodation providers.
  • Whether a Discretionary Housing Payment has been awarded previously. A Discretionary Housing Payment is temporary assistance only. 
  • The amount of Discretionary Housing Payment budget left.

The above list is not exhaustive and there is an opportunity on the application form for you to tell us about your unique situation.

What a Discretionary Housing Payment cannot be paid for

They cannot be awarded to help:

  • pay for non-rent charges like water rates and service charges
  • pay your council tax
  • pay a housing benefit overpayment
  • pay for gas, electricity, or other daily living expenses

They cannot be awarded if you are:

Not getting housing benefit in the benefit week the DHP is awarded for.

Or

Not getting the Housing element of Universal Credit and have a rental liability in the benefit week the DHP is awarded for.

If you are financially struggling but do not qualify for a Discretionary Housing Payment, please see our BetterOff in Salford pages we may be able to offer another form of financial help.

How do I make a Discretionary Housing claim?

To be able to complete the application you need:

  • Your National Insurance Number
  • Your bank sort code and account number
  • Details of your income
  • Details of your expenditure
  • Details of your savings and bank accounts
  • Your last two months bank and building society statements for all accounts held by you and your partner
  • Proof of your rent or an up to date tenancy agreement

Important

You have 14 days from when you start the application to submit it.

You have 30 days from the day you submit the application to provide the bank statements and the proof of rent or up to date tenancy agreement.

If you do not provide the information within this time limit your application will be closed and you will have to submit a fresh application.

If you are completing the form on behalf of someone else, you will need to upload their signed authority confirming this.

Start your online DHP application

Tips for completing the form

You must allow pop-ups to complete the form

Depending on your setting on your computer, you might receive a system ‘pop up’ message which prevents you from completing the application. If you do get a ‘pop up’, then please select ‘Always Allow’ to continue.

How do I save and retrieve an incomplete claim?

If you want to exit the application without submitting your claim you can select the ‘Save and Exit’ option at the bottom of the form. You will be given an online key on-screen which you will need to re-submit the application. The online key is case sensitive.

To access your partially completed form again, click on ‘Start your online application.’ Then click on ‘Return to a saved application.’

You will be asked to provide the applicants surname, National Insurance number, postcode, and the online key. The online key is case sensitive.

Warning

Partially completed applications are only stored for 14 days from the initial date they are started and saved. Any left incomplete after 14 days will be deleted and you will need to start again from the beginning.

This page was last updated on 17 January 2025

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