Discretionary Housing Payment for financial support
Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) provide financial support to help with rent or housing costs.
Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) provide financial support to help with rent or housing costs.
Eligibility
You can apply for a DHP if you currently get either:
Housing Benefit
The housing element of Universal Credit and need more financial support with housing costs
What a DHP can cover
DHP funding is available in England and Wales. Find out how to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment in Scotland.
DHP funding in England and Wales can help people with housing costs, including those affected by:
the benefit cap
removal of the spare room subsidy in the social rented sector
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates
You may get a DHP to cover housing costs for:
a rent shortfall
rent deposits
rent in advance if you need to move home
What a DHP cannot cover
DHPs cannot cover council tax, even if you get Local Council Tax Support.
Apply through your local council
Each council decides how their application process will work.
Your council will look at your circumstances to see whether you are eligible for a DHP. They will decide:
whether to give you a DHP
how much you will be paid
how long you will receive the payment
Get help
If you need advice about your situation, we can help for free.
- Email: info@youthlegal.org.uk
- Phone: 020 3195 1906 (Mon to Fri, 10am to 6pm)
- Contact form: youthlegal.org.uk/contact-us
All our advice is free and confidential.