Apply for help to pay your rent

If you already claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit for housing costs, but need extra help to pay your rent, you can apply for a discretionary award (also known as a discretionary housing payment).

Make sure that you have:

• completed all parts of the form
• supplied as much supporting evidence as possible to support your request- this will help speed up your application

You will need to upload as much supporting evidence as possible to the application, this is especially important if you're applying for help with your rent or rent arrears.

This could include:

• proof of current rent
• rent statement going back to when rent arrears arose to the present day
• proof of any action your landlord has taken against you
•  evidence of any arrangements you have made with your landlord to pay the arrears
• Universal Credit statement
• landlords bank account details
• medical evidence

If you're unable to provide all the evidence needed to support your application, you can still complete and submit the form. You can then gather the remaining evidence and send it to us as soon as possible but no later than 1 calendar month from the date you submitted your form.

However, we cannot process your application or give any extra help until we have all the evidence needed.

If your application is successful, you will receive extra money towards rent.

View the discretionary housing payments policy PDF, 180KB.

We have a duty to pass your details onto our Homeless and Debt Advice Team if you apply for help and:

• tell us you can't afford to pay your rent
• have increasing rent arrears that mean you're at risk of homelessness within 56 days

They will contact you to carry out a housing assessment.

Alternatively, you can contact the team directly by emailing [email protected].