Discretionary Housing Payments and Universal Credit

Hi,

It’s clear from the latest Discretionary Housing Payments Guidance Manual that DHP’s can be paid in Universal Credit:

“Before you make a payment you must be satisfied that the claimant is entitled to:
• Housing Benefit (HB); or
• Universal Credit (UC) that includes a housing element towards rental liability: and
• requires further financial assistance with housing costs”

One Local Authority has just refused a DHP claim for various reasons, including the fact that ‘no housing benefit is in payment’.

We’re not sure yet if this means that the decision maker hasn’t read the guidance manual, or if the LA isn’t able to a put a DHP through due to the limitations of their claims system (it may be that there’s only a field relating to ‘HB Payment’ which needs to be checked before the claim can proceed, and the computer says no etc.). We’ve been asked to send a copy of the guidance manual! Thought they’d have one, but there you go. I’ll update here after the reconsideration is done, and perhaps beyond….

The other reason given, is that the DHP is required due to the shortfall in our client’s income caused by the deduction made because of his need for a short term advance.

I think that there could be no better justification for a DHP. Claimant had to borrow money to live during the first month of UC; the loan is taken back via deductions of subsequent awards causing claimant (in this case) to need further assistance with housing costs; the need is time limited (6 months) and clear, making a further claim unlikely after this time.

Has anyone else had any success with this?

Cheers,

Lee