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FacebookStruggling with rent or council tax? Find out if you qualify for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).
Archived news: published on Monday 10 Dec 2012 by Fife Council
If you are in receipt of housing benefit or council tax rebate and are struggling to pay your rent and council tax you may be entitled to a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).
A DHP can be paid for 6 months or sometimes longer. Here are a few examples of circumstances where you may qualify;
- If you're under 35 and your housing benefit has been reduced to the local housing allowance shared room rate.
- The local housing allowance (LHA) rate does not cover the cost of your rent.
- You're not entitled to full housing benefit or council tax rebate, however, you are having difficulty making ends meet due to an illness affecting a member of the household.
- You've just started work and your housing benefit or council tax rebate has been reduced.. You're now finding it difficult to make ends meet due to new expenses, such as buying overalls, tools or other equipment needed for your new job.
- Your housing benefit and council tax rebate has been reduced because of, for example, sons and daughters who are over 18 and working.
Discretionary housing payments cannot be considered if they are to cover:
- ineligible service or support charges eg meals, laundry, cleaning of rooms and windows etc
- rent if you're entitled to council tax rebate only
- council tax if you're entitled to housing benefit only
- an increase in rent to cover rent arrears
- reductions in any benefit as a result of jobseekers/child support sanctions or sanctions following certain benefit related offences
- when housing benefit and council tax rebate has been suspended
Find out how to apply at www.fifedirect.org.uk/dhp or contact us on the details below
For more information contact
Benefits and Council Tax EnquiriesTel: 08451 55 11 55 Contact Benefits and Council Tax Enquiries online
By Post: Fife Council, Rothesay House, Rothesay Place, Glenrothes, KY7 5PQ
