If your Housing Benefit or Universal Credit Housing Costs doesn't cover all of your rent and you are having difficulty paying the shortfall, you may be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) to help.
Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment online
Download the fact sheet and policy (PDFs)
What you can use a DHP for
A DHP can help, for example if you
- are seeking more affordable accommodation and require assistance with a deposit, rent in advance or removal costs
- are affected by the introduction of the benefit cap and are seeking employment
- have been affected by previous Housing Benefit changes such as the extension of the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate to under 35s
- have higher living costs because you are sick or disabled.
Terms
The award of a DHP is a discretionary decision and there is no statutory right to a payment. Each application will be treated strictly on its own merits.
We have a limited amount of money to provide this help, so any payment is likely to be for a short period only.