A DHP can be awarded for the following types of
cost:
• Weekly rent costs
A weekly amount of DHP may be awarded to help with
the shortfall between your housing benefit (or UC housing costs)
and the cost of your rent, if the authority is satisfied that you
are struggling to meet your contribution to the rent. This can only
be awarded if your full entitlement to HB (or UC housing costs) is
less than the amount of your weekly rent amount. The amount of
weekly DHP plus HB (or UC housing costs) entitlement cannot be more
than your weekly eligible rent (the amount of your housing costs
that can be met by HB or UC). In other words the weekly DHP cannot
be more than the shortfall between your weekly HB (or UC housing
costs) and the weekly eligible rent.
Examples of the type of shortfall that can be
met:
- A reduction in housing benefit (or UC) due to
income that is more than the amount your household is supposed to
need to live on
- A reduction in HB (or UC) due to the bedroom tax or
the bedroom cap
- Non dependant deductions
• Deposit, rent in advance or removal
expenses
A DHP can be awarded for a rent deposit or rent in
advance, or removal expenses, for a property that you have yet to
move into if you are already entitled to HB or UC at your present
home. The authority may wish to be satisfied that the property is
affordable for you, that you have a valid reason to move, and that
the cost is reasonable.
The authority may take into account that bear in mind
that it may not always be possible foryou to seek the most
affordable accommodation, for example, when fleeing your home due
to domestic violence and needing a place of safety such as a refuge
service.
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