Discretionary Housing Payments give you further assistance towards your housing costs. They are made by the Council in addition to Housing or Council Tax Benefit.
To qualify for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) you must already be in receipt of Housing or Council Tax Benefit and need further help to meet your housing costs.
There is no set list of circumstances in which discretionary payments will be made, however below are some examples that would be considered:
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Your circumstances are exceptional.
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You have costs beyond your control that have not occurred because of your own actions.
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Your choice of housing was forced upon you by urgency or by significant health problems.
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You are in an extreme and temporary situation that makes it difficult for you to move in the short term.
How much you receive depends on your circumstances. DHP can be paid for different amounts of time and will be paid with your Housing or Council Tax Benefits, if successful.
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To apply for DHP contact the Revenues & Benefits Office at Wellington House, 22-32 Wellington Street, Leicester or call 0116 252 7006. You will usually be asked to come in and see us to discuss your circumstances. You will be asked to bring with you quite a lot of information and we will look at:
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Evidence of your total income.
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Details of any savings.
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Whether anyone else in the household is able to help financially.
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Details of any loans or debts.
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Whether you could re-arrange your finances to ease the situation.
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Whether you or anyone in your family has any special circumstances, such as ill health or disability.
You can also view or download a more detailed guide to Discretionary Housing Payments here.
Information on extra help towards your housing costs (Discretionary Housing Payments) in languages other than English*
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Further information for Homeowners at risk of eviction can be found on the DirectGov website*
This information covers redundancy, budgeting, dealing with debt and borrowing money, getting back into work, banking, savings and investments. The information is available for anyone to access but is particularly relevant for Homeowners who are at risk of losing their home.
*Leicester City Council is not responsible for the content and services on external websites.
