Discretionary Housing Payment and Council Tax Hardship Scheme
Discretionary Housing Payment
Discretionary Housing Payments are a way of helping you if the Housing Benefit you get is not enough to pay your rent. Our Benefits section is responsible for the scheme and will decide whether or not you can get extra help.
Who can apply
- Residents of Derby.
- People receiving Housing Benefit or the Housing Costs Element of Universal Credit.
- Who have shortfall between their rent and Housing Benefit or the Housing Costs Element of Universal Credit.
- It doesn't matter whether you rent from the council, a housing association, a charity, or a private landlord.
- People needing payments to support a move to cheaper alternative accommodation.
Discretionary Housing Payments aren't the same as Housing Benefit. They are special payments which come from a separate fund. For all applications relating to the Discretionary Housing Payment element of this scheme, we will consider things such as:
- the amount you get in Housing Benefit or the Housing Cost Element of Universal Credit and the amount of rent you have to pay
- any efforts you have made to reduce your rent
- the financial and medical circumstances of you and anyone who lives with you
- whether you are a foster carer or going through the approval process to be a foster carer or adoptive parent
- your income and expenditure and anyone who lives with you
- your savings investments and any held by anyone else living with you
- any debts owed by you or anyone else who lives with you
- if you have any exceptional circumstances
- whether you have accessed support from another Council discretionary fund or short-term funding from the Department for Work and Pensions or other organisations
- any other special situations.
Each application is treated on its own merits however some groups may be given priority for certain awards. For example, the following groups will be treated as a priority for this scheme:
- Foster carers.
- Households where substantial disabled adaptations have been undertaken to meet the disability needs of a household member.
- Households with a child who is unable to share a bedroom due to disability and where the following applies:
- There is a claim for child DLA care component at the middle or highest rate in payment.
- There is no entitlement to DLA care component at the middle or highest rate but the child has a disability that may be particularly disruptive.