Direct payment to landlord

Housing Benefit can be paid directly to a landlord in certain circumstances where:

• tenant owes rent of eight weeks or more
• tenant has difficulty in managing their finances due to vulnerability
• a landlord has reduced the rent to a level affordable to a tenant

Tenants

If you are a tenant of a private landlord and any of the above apply, you can request payments are paid direct to your landlord.

If you are a tenant of a Housing Association you can choose if you would like your payments to be made to you or your landlord on your application or by reporting a change to us.

Landlords

If any of the above apply, and your tenant is in receipt of Housing Benefit, you can apply for payments to be made direct to you.

If your tenant receives Universal Credit Housing Costs, you should apply to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) for direct payments.

Where you are awarded Housing Benefit payment direct, you are responsible for reporting any changes in your tenant’s circumstances which may affect their benefit. Failure to do so could result in you having to pay back any overpaid benefits.

How to apply for direct payments

Our online form can be completed by:

• landlord
• tenant
• carer, welfare or advice agency, another council service or a friend or family member on the tenant's behalf

Submitting evidence

You may be asked to upload evidence on the application form.

If you need help with uploading evidence, see our guidance on uploading files to online forms.