How is Housing Benefit paid?
If you are the tenant of a private landlord (this includes Housing Associations) payment will be made by Bank Automated Credit (BACs) direct to your bank / building society account or to your landlord if you wish.
Payments for claims which are subject to Local Housing Allowance will be made directly into your bank / building society account. Payments can only be made directly to your landlord where certain criteria are met (see Safety Guidelines).
In some circumstances eg If you are more than 8 weeks in arrears with your rent, the council will pay your housing benefit direct to your landlord unless it would not be in your interest to do so.
Normally payments are made four weekly in arrears on the main payment run. This will be paid on the Monday after the date you have been paid up to eg a payment covering the period 11/10/11 to 27/11/11 will be paid into your or your landlord's bank / building society on 28/11/11. There are thirteen main payment runs in the financial year. To find out the dates of these payments please see below.
Payments which are not paid four weekly in arrears include the first payment when you have made a new claim or where you have had a change of circumstances. These will either be paid on the main payment run or on the weekly run depending on when the payment is due.
Payment Dates
Please find listed below the dates that your 4 weekly Housing Benefit payment will be credited to either your or your landlord's bank / building society account. These cover the financial year 2011/12.
- *18 April 2011
- 16 May 2011
- 13 June 2011
- 11 July 2011
- 8 August 2011
- 5 September 2011
- 3 October 2011
- 31 October 2011
- 28 November 2011
- 26 December 2011 (This may change due to Christmas period)
- 23 January 2012
- 20 February 2012
- 19 March 2012
- **2 April 2012
*If you are paid 4 weekly in arrears you will receive 2 weeks on 4 April 2011 and 2 weeks on 18 April 2011. If you are not paid 4 weekly in arrears you will receive 4 weeks on 18 April 2011 and no payment on 4 April 2011. **The same applies to 2 April 2011 and 16 April 2011.
For further information:
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Contact: Benefit Team Leader, Town Hall, Penrith CA11 7QF
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Telephone: 01768 212131
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Email: benefits@eden.gov.uk
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Fax: 01768 890470
