Discretionary Housing Payment

Considerations when deciding who should recieve DHP

Applications are decided by taking into account both the financial and personal circumstances of the individual applying and any household members.

When considering an application, it is important to identify the cause of the hardship and assess suitable solutions, and whether it is possible to meet the housing costs from the household income or capital.

We will disregard the following income:

• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Severe Disability Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Carers Allowance

We may identify reasonable actions you could take so a DHP is no longer needed. These could include reducing any unnecessary spending, considering employment support, engaging with debt advice from a specialist agency, accessing existing capital or moving to a more affordable property.

Your willingness to take reasonable actions identified will be taken into account when considering your application.

We will take into consideration the consequences of not awarding DHP to those who have applied. 

You may need to attend an appointment with our Customer Support Team to fully explore the issues and potential solutions.

Priority Groups

We intend to prioritise support, where needed, for:

Severely disabled residents living in significantly adapted accommodation

•  A DHP may be awarded where there is a shortfall in rent due to removal of the spare room subsidy and where it is not appropriate for the resident to move due to their disability.

Disabled children

• In exceptional cases where a disabled child is not able to share a bedroom nor is granted an additional room need in current HB regulations a DHP may be awarded. Each case will be assessed on its own merits.

Approved or prospective adoptive parents 

• Residents who have been approved as adopters are required to have a bedroom for an adopted child. Until the child forms part of the household, removal of the spare room subsidy may apply and DHP's will be used to provide support in the interim period, when needed.
• Similarly, people going through the approval process to become adoptive parents will need to show that they have a spare room for a child.
• If a DHP is paid on this basis it will be the responsibility of the resident to inform CBC of any change of circumstances if, for example, they were not subsequently approved. 

Approved or prospective foster carers 

• Foster carers are allowed one extra bedroom under the size criteria rules providing they have fostered a child or became an approved foster carer within the last 52 weeks.
• Some residents may be caring for siblings, or for two or more unrelated foster children, and require additional bedrooms. However, the size criteria rules only allow foster carers to have one extra bedroom; therefore a DHP may be awarded to help cover any reduction in HB due the additional rooms that are required.
• Resident’s going through the approval process to become foster carers will need to show that they have a spare room to be approved. If a DHP is paid on this basis it would be up to the resident to inform CBC of any change of circumstances if, for example, they were not subsequently approved.

People affected by Welfare Reforms 

•  DHP’s may be awarded to support residents affected by Welfare Reforms to assist them in adjusting to the relevant change.

Significant ages

•  People within 12 months of a significant change trigger which would affect the removal of the spare room subsidy or base HB entitlement, for example birth of a child, household with children nearing the age of 10th or 16th birthdays, people nearing their 35th birthday or state pension credit age.

Consistent and repeat DHPs 

DHPs are there to provide a period of support while you takes steps to independently maintain your housing costs. We do have discretion to make enduring or longer-term awards dependant on your circumstances.

We have discretion to apply conditions to DHP awards.

These conditions will indicate required actions to encourage longer-term change. The aim of these conditions will be to seek early resolution or improvements of the household’s financial position.

Failure to adhere to these conditions may affect the outcome of any future DHP applications.