What are Housing Payments?
Housing Payments replace Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP’s) form 1 April 2026.
It is part of wider support which is provided through a new Government Grant called Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). The Crisis and Resilience Fund will form part of the authority’s wider strategy around reducing poverty and building financial resilience in customers who need help.
To claim a Housing Payment, you need to meet certain criteria. One of which is that the authority is satisfied that you require further financial assistance with housing costs. We do that by assessing your income and expenditure and the reason why you need help, as well as how long you will need financial assistance for, what actions you are taking or can take to help your situation.
The customer must also be entitled to:
- Housing Benefit (HB), or
- Universal Credit (UC) with housing costs towards rental liability. This includes Shared Ownership properties which carry a rental liability.
Entitlement refers to individuals who are in receipt of, or qualify for, one of the benefits above, but have not yet received payment.
Housing Payments are a short-term support only they are not an income supplement. They are meant to help you through a personal crisis, so you can stay in your home if you cannot move
You must not assume you will be entitled, even if you feel you need help to meet your housing costs or you have received a DHP in the past.
We will look at your whole circumstances when we assess your claim, and we may ask you to engage with other recommended support if we feel this will help, or it suits your needs better. This other support may be linked to employment, debt advice or income maximisation, so that you build greater financial resilience for the future.
Each case will be looked at individually.
Claims for Housing Payments may take us longer to assess at certain times of the year, so you need to be aware of this.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may be entitled to Crisis Support. Please telephone our Welfare Assistance team on (0191) 643 2777 and press option 2 between 9am and 2pm, Monday to Friday.
There are often other types of help available from the authority and other organisations that you may be able to claim that will help your financial situation. Please look on the cost-of-living webpage.