Entitlement start and end

Your tenant's Housing and Council Tax Benefit will normally start from the Monday following the date they first contact us. Special rules may allow us to pay them from an earlier date in some circumstances.

Housing

If they contact us in the same week they become liable for rent or Council Tax we can start their benefit from the date they become liable.

If they make their claim within one month of claiming Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance, we can pay them from the Monday following the start of their DWP benefit.

See how your tenant can make a claim here

If your tenant has reached Pension Credit age we can automatically pay them for up to 3 months before the date they claimed as long as they would qualify for the earlier period.

If your tenant is under the Pension Credit age and has a good reason for not claiming earlier, we may be able to backdate their award and pay them for up to 6 months before their claim.

Your tenant's benefit is awarded for an unlimited period. It will continue until they have a Change of circumstances that ends their entitlement. They will normally be paid to the end of the week in which their circumstances change.

Entitlement before moving in

Housing Benefit cannot normally be paid for any period before your tenant moves into your property. In the circumstances below we can pay them for up to four weeks before the date they move in. No payment will be made until they have actually moved in.

We can pay Housing Benefit for the period before moving in if:

• Your tenant becomes liable for rent whilst a patient in hospital or in a care home.

• If your tenant is waiting for a Social Fund payment to help with the move or setting up home and:
  • Your tenant or their partner is aged 60 or over OR
  • You tenant is responsible for a child under 6 OR
  • Your tenant, their partner or any dependant child is disabled

• If your tenant's new home is being adapted for a disability of one of their family

It is only the last circumstance where we may pay Benefit on two homes