Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are awarded if the council think you need help paying for housing. They have a limited fund so need to ensure these payments are distributed fairly to eligible residents.
Discretionary Housing Payments have been replaced by
Housing Payments within the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
The following information and guidance is about the new scheme
Who is entitled to claim a Housing Payment
Housing Payments may be awarded where the applicant is entitled to:
- Housing Benefit (HB), or
- Universal Credit (UC) with an element for housing costs, including Shared Ownership properties with a rental liability. If you are receiving Universal Credit but don’t get the housing costs element, you won’t be able to get a DHP to help with rent in advance or deposit.
And where :
- Evidence is provided which demonstrates that you are in financial hardship and that your tenancy or housing situation will be at risk if further support is not provided.
What the Housing Payment includes
Housing costs can include:
- Rental liability (ongoing rent)
- Rent in advance
- Tenancy deposit
- Removal or relocation costs
- Other lump-sum payments essential for securing or preventing homelessness Housing Payments cannot be greater than what you’re responsible to pay for your weekly rent. They are not long-term payments. They are awarded on a short-term basis while you take action to improve your circumstances. Support can be provided through the Financial Welfare Team
- Payments will usually be made to the applicant, but the council may pay your landlord in certain circumstances
How to apply for a Housing Payment in Ashford
You’ll need to tell us:
- what help you need
- why you think you should get extra payment towards your rent
- what your circumstances are
- any action you have taken to help yourself
the money you have coming in to your household (income) and the money you pay out each week/month (expenditure). - you will also need to provide recent bank statements for all accounts held by you and your partner ( if you have one)
- an up-to-date rent statement from your landlord showing any arrears outstanding and payments you have made
You’ll also need to send supporting evidence separately by uploading it to the council website, by email to benefits@ashford.gov.uk or by post to Benefits, Ashford Borough Council, International House, Dover Place, Ashford. TN23 1HU Remember to include your name and address on any paperwork you send us.
How Ashford Borough Council make a decision
When you have completed and submitted the claim form we will consider all aspects of your circumstances before we decide if we can award you a Housing Payment.
We may contact you to ask for further information and discuss your application
CRF housing payments cannot be awarded for any of the following:
- Ineligible service charges
- Sanctions and reductions in benefit under regulations 100 to 114 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 or due to a breach of a community service order
- shortfalls caused by Housing Benefit and/or Universal Credit overpayment recovery
- Periods of Housing Benefit suspensions where there is a doubt in entitlement or because it has not been possible to assess entitlement as sufficient information has not been provided for the housing benefit claim. If you are awarded a Housing Payment and we later find out you should not have been entitled to it, we may ask you to return the money.
Request a review of the decision
If your application for a Housing Payment is turned down and there is something you feel has not considered or the council were not aware of, you can ask them to look at the decision again.
You must contact the council by email at benefits@ashford.gov.uk or write to them using the address above within one month of the date that your claim is turned down.
How to apply for a Housing Payment in Folkestone & Hythe
- complete the application form, you may need;
- your benefit claim reference number, if known
- details of household income and expenditure
- details of how much rent you are charged and landlord details including bank details
- to upload evidence to support your application eg copies of pay slips, tenancy agreement showing rent amount
Submitting your evidence
Just before you submit the online form, you will be provided with a list of any evidence required to process your application. If you cannot upload the documents to the form immediately, you can use the button below to submit your evidence at a later date.
What happens next?
Once we receive your application, and all the required supporting information, you will be notified within 17 days of a decision. If we require any further information you will be contacted. We’ll normally start paying the HP from the Monday after you submit your claim.
How to apply for a Housing Payment in Dover
Housing payments are extra payments to help people pay their rent. We give housing payments to people receiving housing benefit or the housing costs element of Universal Credit who need more help with their housing costs.
Housing payments are paid in addition to your housing benefit or Universal Credit entitlement. As housing payments are not payments of benefit, we are able to decide who to give this extra help to, and how much to give.
The amount we can spend on housing payments is limited. Once this money has been used up we will not be able to give extra payments.
Last Updated on May 5, 2026 by Ashford Advice