Payments: how it works
We will pay you when we have worked out your benefit. We can only do this when we have received all the information needed.
For those who pay rent to a private landlord we can sometimes make a payment on account. We can do this if we are waiting for a decision from the Rent Officer. If we make a payment on account and the final decision is less than the payment on account, you must pay back the difference.
The start of your claim
We will pay you from
- the Monday after your claim is received in our office or
- the Monday after you told us of your intention to claim if you returned the form within a month
- sometimes we can pay you from the date you claimed Income Support or Income based Jobseekers Allowance
- if you claim in the week that you have moved in, we can pay you from the date that you moved in
- if you or your partner are over 60 we can usually pay you from three months before your claim was received or less than three months if within the three months
- you or you partner became 60 or
- you moved into the address or
- you qualified for Housing Benefit and / or Council Tax Benefit
Backdating
Sometimes we can pay benefit from an earlier date if you have good reason for not claiming at the time. If you want us to consider paying your benefit from an earlier date, please send us a letter claiming backdated benefit. You need to say what date you want to claim from and explain why you did not claim until now.
If you did not claim earlier because of medical or welfare reasons, please enclose proof to support this, such as a letter from your doctor or social worker. You will also need to enclose proof of your circumstances for the backdated period.
Time limits for backdating
- Time is counted from the date you applied for backdating.
- We can never backdate a claim for more than six months if you and your partner are under 60.
- If you or your partner are over 60 we will try and pay you for up to three months before the date you claimed- see the start of your claim above.
Further information on backdating claims
Who we pay
Council Tax Benefit
Your benefit will be paid directly into your council tax account.
Housing Benefit - council tenants
Your benefit will be paid into your rent account.
Housing Benefit - private tenants
Your benefit will be normally be paid into your bank account by bank transfer every four weeks. You can ask us to pay you by crossed cheques which must be paid into a bank account. We cannot pay by open cheques. If you do not have a bank account and would like advice on opening a basic bank account we can send you a leaflet.
All payments to private tenants are made in arrears. Payments to landlords must be 4 weekly in arrears. If you have asked for payment to be made to you you can ask to be paid every 2 weeks in arrears. If you are more than 8 weeks in arrears with your rent we normally pay your landlord.
If you are currently being paid by cheque and would like to have the money paid into your bank account:
- Housing Benefit direct payment (BACS) tenants form, October 2009
(PDF: 17KB) - complete and take to our enquiry office, a surgery or a first contact point.
Housing Benefit - payments to landlord
If you are the landlord and your tenant is more than 8 weeks in arrears, you can tell us and we may be able to make direct benefit payment to you. Your tenant will still be responsible for any difference between the benefit we pay and the contractual rent. Payments to landlords must be 4 weekly in arrears.
If you are currently being paid by cheque and would like to have the money paid into your bank account:
- Housing Benefit direct payments (BACS) landlord/agent form, October 2009 (PDF: 25KB)
- complete and take to our enquiry office, a surgery or a first contact point.
Email this pageLast modified by: Webmaster on 21/10/2009