How we pay Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

Payment of Housing Benefit

If you rent from a private landlord, we will usually pay Housing Benefit directly to you, into your bank account via BACS

A payment by BACS is quick, easy and secure, the funds will clear on the day of payment. This will give you the security of knowing that your housing benefit will be paid to you on time.

You can get advice about opening and running a bank account from any bank or building society.

There are organisations that can help you to set up a bank account even if you have previously been refused.

We may be able to pay your benefit into another person’s bank account if we have their permission but you will need to supply a letter from them giving the details of their bank account.

To set up payment by BACS, please download and fill in the BACS application form (PDF).

Payments to your Landlord

If you live in a property owned by a Registered Social Landlord, for example Incommunities or another Housing Association you can request that we pay Housing Benefit direct to your Landlord.

You can request payments directly to your Landlord using the application form for paying benefit to your Landlord (PDF).

If you are in rent arrears by more than eight weeks we may make payments direct to your Landlord.

If you have difficulty paying your rent

Some people may have difficulty managing their money and paying their rent. We recognise this and sometimes arrange to pay Housing Benefit directly to a Landlord to help them manage their affairs.

To apply for your benefit to be paid to your Landlord, please download and fill in the application form for paying benefit to your Landlord (PDF).

We will need to look at the reasons that you are requesting payment directly to your Landlord.

Tenants can ask for this themselves and supply evidence to support their request or get other people to help them.

People who can help you include:

• friends or relatives 
• landlords 
• Social Services 
• Probation Officers 
• Job Centre Plus
• The Pension Service 
• charities 
• Homeless or Housing Advice Officers 
• Organisations that can help with managing money or debt

Cheque payments

In some circumstances we can authorise payment by cheque however cheques are less secure and they can go missing in the post it will then take longer for us to issue a replacement payment if this happens.

If you do not have a bank account you will need to pay a fee to cash a cheque. To avoid these fees you will need to set up a bank account. You could then have your Housing Benefit paid directly into a bank account.

The cheques that we issue will be crossed, that means you would need to pay a fee to have it cashed. If you have your own bank account you will not have to pay these fees.

Payment of Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction is always paid directly into the Council Tax account.

The amount of Council Tax reduction that has been paid will show on your Council Tax bill.