Discretionary Housing Payment Policy 2022-23

9.1 Awards of DHP will focus on enabling people to secure or retain and pay for appropriate and sustainable accommodation through temporary difficulties or in anomalous circumstances not addressed by the benefit system. This is in order to reduce the risk of homelessness and help support the stability of families and communities. DHP's should not seek to undermine the purpose and nature of the Housing Benefit or Universal Credit scheme, nor support irresponsible behaviour, nor can they assist in situations so common that a consistent approach to such payments would involve expenditure above the maximum permissible.

9.2 It is expected that payments would be made in unusual or extreme circumstances where additional help will have a significant effect in alleviating hardship, reducing the risk of homelessness or alleviating difficulties that may be experienced in the transition from long term benefit dependence into work, for example:

• circumstances unusual or exceptional among claimants in that tenure
• costs that are beyond their control and do not arise through the actions or failures of others
• housing choices which are forced on or required by the claimant because of urgency, care needs or significant health requirements
• extreme and temporary situations which make it difficult to move in the short term or where decisions had to be made in an emergency
• imminent loss of the home where meeting some or all of the current shortfall between the benefit and eligible rent will prevent the claimant from becoming homeless
• to mitigate or delay the most severe effects of the household benefit cap where families are co-operating with agencies and other solutions are not practical in the short term

9.3 Applications to prevent eviction due to arrears will in the first instance be referred to the Councils Homelessness Team to undertake a homelessness prevention assessment.