After you have made a claim for Housing Benefit
We should assess your claim within 4 weeks.
Delays are possible if we are waiting for information from:
- the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC)
- other authorised organisations
Upload supporting evidence
If we have asked you to provide evidence to support your claim, upload your documents as soon as possible.
Your Housing Benefit claim letter
We will send you a letter explaining how much Housing Benefit you are entitled to and how it was calculated.
Your letter includes:
- your benefit start date
- the amount of benefit you have been awarded
- how often it will be paid
- a breakdown of how we worked out your entitlement
Understanding your letter
If you need help to understand your letter, download your Housing Benefit award letter explained.
It explains how we work out your benefit and the different sections on your Housing Benefit letter.
Disputes, appeals and enquiries
If you would like specific details of how your Housing Benefit was calculated, you can ask us for a Statement of Reason.
If you do not understand the decisions or if you disagree with it, you have several options available.
Make a benefits dispute, appeal or enquiry
If your benefits do not cover your full rent
A Discretionary Housing payment can be made to help make up any shortfall in the amount of housing costs included in your Universal Credit and your rent, help towards moving costs, or deposits required to move to more suitable accommodation, that may be more affordable to you.