Discretionary Housing Payments

If you have been awarded Housing and or Council Tax Benefit, but it is less than your eligible rent or Council Tax, and you are in financial difficulty, you may be entitled to some extra help.

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are temporary awards of extra financial help for a particular period. Examples of circumstances when a DHP might be awarded are:

• If you are having unavoidable extra expenses due to special circumstances such as someone being ill or in hospital
• If you are having difficulty paying rent and or Council Tax while you are trying to find a cheaper property 
• If there are special reasons why you need to stay in a particular property, but the Rent Officer has restricted the amount of rent we can use in the calculation
• If your Housing and or Council Tax Benefit has been reduced because you have been in hospital for more than 52 weeks
• If your benefit has been reduced because a non-dependant is living with you

The above list does not cover all the circumstances in which a DHP might be awarded.

Discretionary Housing Payments cannot be awarded towards any of the following:

• Ineligible charges e.g. heating, water rates.
• Your rent if you are only entitled to Council Tax Benefit.
• Your Council Tax if you are only entitled to Housing Benefit.
• Your Council Tax if you are only entitled to Second Adult Rebate.
• Increases to cover rent arrears.
• Reductions in benefit due to Child Support sanctions
• Amounts of Housing and or Council Tax Benefit that have been suspended

The total amount of existing Housing and or Council Tax Benefit plus the Discretionary Housing Payment must not be more than your: 

• Eligible rent 
• Liability for Council Tax

How to apply for a DHP

If you think you may qualify for this additional help, please complete this form with details of your weekly or monthly household expenses.

If we decide that we can award you a Discretionary Housing Payment, it may only be paid for a short period while you try and sort out the difficulties you are having. We will write to tell you how much you will be paid and for how long.

If we decide that we cannot award you a Discretionary Housing Payment, we will write and tell you the reasons for our decision.

Leaflets

The following leaflet have been created as part of the National Leaflet Project, they give general advice and guidance about Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

They are available in 11 different languages and if you require any of these leaflest in Braille or Large Print please let the Benefit Section at East Hampshire know.

A guide to Discretionary Housing Payments

Our contact details