Housing Payments
Discretionary Housing Payments have been replaced by Housing Payments within the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Housing Payments can provide extra help for people struggling to cover their rent or other housing costs.
A Housing Payment is:
- temporary and only paid for a short time while action is taken to improve your circumstances
- given at the discretion of the Local Authority
- paid on top of your Housing Benefit award or the Housing Element of your Universal Credit award
The Local Authority have a limited amount of money each year to support those who need extra financial support and priority will be given to those in greatest need.
Who can apply
You can apply if you:
- live in Havering
- have been placed in temporary accommodation by Havering's Housing Service
- are legally responsible or required to pay rent for a property
- entitled to Housing Benefit or the Universal Credit Housing Element
- need extra support with your rent
You can apply for Crisis and Resilience Housing Payment for help with:
- rent liability (ongoing rent)
- tenancy deposit
- rent in advance if you need to move home
- help with moving costs
- some other lump sum payments that are essential for preventing homelessness
You cannot apply for a Crisis and Resilience Housing Payment for help with:
- council tax
- mortgage costs
- gas, electric, water, meals, fuel charges included in your rent
- other utility bills
- personal debts
- daily living expenses
- increases in rent due to outstanding rent arrears
- reduced income caused by sanctions or reductions
- a shortfall in your housing benefit due to repaying overpaid housing benefit
- extra payments you are making to clear rent arrears
When you apply, you will need to tell us why you need extra help with your housing costs.
How to apply
You will need:
- your National Insurance number
- your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction reference number (if you have one)
- a copy of your Universal Credit award letter (if you get Universal Credit)
- details of your income and benefits
- recent bank statements for all accounts held by yourself and your partner (if applicable)
- details of your expenses
- details of any rent arrears
- details of any debts you have and the repayment amounts
- details of anyone who lives with you, including their income
- your bank details
- the landlord's bank details if you are requesting that payments are made to your landlord
Make sure you have all the information you need before you start. You can add your documents when you apply.
You can ask someone to complete the form on your behalf if they have your consent.
If you were unable to upload your evidence
You can do this using our online form. This should be provided as soon as possible.
You will need your National Insurance number, and Benefits claim reference if you have one, or the reference generated when you completed the application.
You have one month to provide the evidence requested, so that your application can be processed. We will not send you a reminder.
What happens next
We will look at your application and decide if we are able to give you a Crisis and Resilience Housing Payment.
If we need any more information, we will let you know.
There is no set amount for a Crisis and Resilience Housing Payment. We will decide:
- whether to give you a Crisis and Resilience Housing Payment
- how much you will be paid
- how long you will receive the payment for
We will write to you as soon as possible with our decision.
If you disagree with the decision
There is no formal right of appeal against decisions relating to Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment awards, or the level of any award made.
If you are refused an award, or you are unhappy with the amount awarded, you can ask us to look at the decision again. You must do this within one month of being notified of the decision.
You will need to explain why you disagree and provide any further supporting documents.
A different officer will then look at your application again. They will write to you with their decision.