Housing Benefit in the Richmondshire area

You should apply for Housing Benefit as soon as you think you need help. Do not delay in making a claim or you may lose out.

The law says you have to tell us if there is any change to the information we have used to decide your entitlement to Housing Benefits.

An overpayment of a benefit happens when the benefit is paid to you which you are not entitled to.

When we've made a decision about your benefit, we'll write to tell you what amount you're entitled to.

We usually pay Housing Benefits from the Monday after we get your claim but, in some circumstances, we can pay from an earlier date.

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) can give you extra financial help if you are already getting Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit but still have a shortfall in your rent liability that you are finding difficult to pay.

The amount of Housing Benefit you receive depends on the amount of money coming into your home, plus any savings you have.

If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or a Council Tax Reduction, we may carry out a review of your claim from time to time. We do this to ensure that your claim details are up to date and that you are getting the correct entitlement.