Discretionary Housing Payments

What are Discretionary Housing Payments?

Additional help may be available if you have to pay towards your rent and/or Council Tax and are having difficulty in meeting the payments. These are known as Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP's).

DHP's can be paid if the Council thinks you need further help to pay your housing costs. However DHP's are not paid to cover services included in your rent or for a reduction in your benefit due to an overpayment being recovered.

 

Who can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment?

You can apply for help with both your Council Tax and rent payments but:

• You must qualify for some Housing Benefit to get DHP for rent.

• You must also qualify for some Council Tax Benefit to get DHP for Council Tax.

• If you receive full Housing Benefit and full Council Tax Benefit, you cannot get DHP

 

How do you apply?

You must complete a Discretionary Housing Payments application form to apply for additional money to help pay your housing costs. To help us assess whether you can receive extra help we need all parts of the form completing. If you need help completing the form, please contact your local Barnsley Connects Office. When complete, please return the form to any local Barnsley Connects Office, or by post to PO Box 63, Barnsley.

 

Application form

The Discretionary Housing Payments Application form is available from all Barnsley Connects offices. Alternatively you can download the form from the internet clicking the link below, or you can phone us to request one.

Discretionary Housing Payments Application

 

How you can help

You can help by completing the application form with as much detail as possible to assist us in making our decision. If you need help completing the form you can contact either a member of staff on 01226 774770, visit your local Barnsley Connects Office or contact Welfare Rights on freephone 0800 9153339 between 10.00am and 4.oopm Monday to Friday.

  

What happens next

On receipt of your application form you may need to supply further information or be contacted by an officer to discuss your request. When we have all the information we need your application is considered by a panel of officers who look at your income, your expenditure and your personal circumstances. They also look at whether you have had a previous award, and if you have what action you have taken to improve your financial situation. You will be told by letter if a DHP can be paid. If you are awarded help the letter will tell you how much you will get and how long payments will be made for. The Council is only allowed to spend a set amount of money on DHP's each year. If the Council reaches the total, no further DHP's can be paid for that financial year. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask the Council to review it's decision. If your circumstances change the Council will review your DHP award and if an overpayment has been made, recover the amount from you.

 

How Discretionary Housing Payments are made

Discretionary Housing Payments are paid in the same way as your existing Housing and Council Tax Benefits are paid.

 

Helplines

If you require any information about a Discretionary Housing Payment please telephone 01226 774770 or 774775.

 

For details of how to contact us for enquiries and application forms, see Benefit Enquiries

 

Legislation

The Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001

Websites

Citizens Advice Bureau

National Debtline

Consumer Credit Counselling Service

Other useful organisations:


Citizens Advice Bureau
1 Shambles Street
Barnsley
S70 2HT
Telephone 01226 206492
Citizens Advice Bureau

Department for Work and Pensions
John Rideal House
Shambles Street
Barnsley
Telephone 01226 777222
Department for Work and Pensions

 

Related Links:

• Welfare Rights

• Town Centre Map

Last modified on 23/10/2008