Discretionary Housing Payment
A Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) is extra help you might be able to get for housing costs which include rent payments and moving costs.
You can only get DHP if you receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.
What Discretionary Housing Payment can help with
You may be able to get a DHP to help with:
- a spare room that Housing Benefit will not pay for
- benefit caps resulting in reductions to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit
- your benefit being reduced because there is a non-dependent in the household
- a rent deposit or rent in advance for moving to a new home
- removal costs
- a shortfall between the amount of Housing Benefit or housing costs in Universal Credit you get and the amount of rent you must pay.
What Discretionary Housing Payment cannot cover
We are not able to award DHP for:
- service charges not covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit
- increases in rent because you are in arrears
- rent costs when your benefit has been reduced by the Department for Work and Pensions, normally because of a sanction
- when your rent is reduced due to recovering a Housing Benefit Overpayment
- paying council tax
The form is best filled out on a laptop or computer. Free access to computers are available at your local library.
Once you have completed the form, email it to housingbenefit@southglos.gov.uk
If you wish to apply in person, hand in forms or documents for your claim, visit one of our One Stop Shops.
Where possible provide original documents. We may ask for further evidence if it is required.
Privacy notice
Find out how we collect, use and share your data in our privacy notice for housing benefit, discretionary housing payments and local council tax reduction.
Sometimes we need information about other people who live in the same household as you so we can work out how much you will be eligible for.