From April 2026, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) were replaced by the Housing Payment element of Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must already receive one of the following:
- Housing Benefit
- the housing element of Universal Credit
You must also be experiencing financial difficulty related to your housing costs.
What support you can get
You may be eligible for support if you:
- have a shortfall between your rental costs and the amount you receive from Housing benefit or the housing element of Universal credit – this support is normally paid in a lump sum one-off payment
- are facing a large reduction in support due to welfare reforms, household changes or job loss – this support is normally paid in a lump sum payment
- are needing to move to a more suitable or affordable property so this could be a deposit, rent in advance or removal costs – the support will only be paid directly to the new landlord or the removal company
Payments are based on your individual circumstances. They’re intended as short-term support and should not be relied on as a long-term solution.
How to apply
You can apply for a Housing Payment.
You need to provide information about your current circumstances and evidence to show why you need support. This can include bills, rent details and health problems. You can add them to the online form.
We’ll still consider your application if you can’t provide the evidence we asked for. Each application is assessed on its own circumstances.
How we assess your application
When we assess your application, we consider:
- the shortfall between your rent and your Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit
- any steps you’ve taken to reduce your rent or housing costs
- your financial and medical circumstances (including the circumstances of your partner, dependants, and anyone else living with you)
- any savings or capital you have
- any income that is not included in Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit
If you apply for help with a rent deposit or rent in advance, we’ll also consider:
- whether you will receive a repayable deposit from your current property
- whether the new accommodation is affordable for you
Why you may not be eligible
You may not be eligible for a Housing Payment if your request is for:
- rent when you only qualify for Council Tax support
- service charges (such as utilities), or support charges included in your rent
- rent increases to cover rent arrears
- benefit sanctions or benefit reductions
- amounts of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit that have been suspended
- repayments for overpaid Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit
- arrangements to clear council tax arrears