Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support

These are payments we can make if your Housing Benefit or Universal Credit does not cover the full amount of rent you are charged. It is an additional payment to Housing Benefit and Universal Credit and can be awarded at the discretion of the authority. These payments are only available to people entitled to Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, who require further assistance.

What are eligible housing costs?

When people are charged rent it sometimes states in their tenancy agreement that the rent includes a charge for other services, such as meals, electricity, and charges for water. Eligible housing costs are therefore the amount of charged rent minus any ineligible service charges.

Ineligible service charges are not paid by Housing Benefit. Therefore, you may have a shortfall in the amount of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit that Ribble Valley Borough Council pays and the amount of rent you must pay your landlord. Unfortunately, Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payments are not available to make up this shortfall.

Would I be entitled to a Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payment?

• Are you entitled to either Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (and receive the Housing Element)?
• Is Housing Benefit or Universal Credit leaving you a shortfall in the actual amount of rent you need to pay?
• Is the shortfall eligible rent costs?

If you can answer yes to the above questions and we are satisfied that you require further financial assistance you may be awarded a Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payment.

If you only qualify for Council Tax Support with no Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (with Housing Costs) then we are unable to give financial assistance with your rent costs.

How to claim

If you wish to claim a Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payment you must complete our Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payment application form. Please contact benefits@ribblevalley.gov.uk or 01200 425111 or visit the council offices.

Council Tax Support Discretionary Payment

If you wish to claim a Council Tax Support Discretionary Payment, you must write to the Revenues section and explain your circumstances. These payments are only a short-term measure to help claimants affected by the Council Tax Support scheme, who are experiencing extreme financial difficulty. Please note that if you are only entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit then we are unable to help financially with your council tax bill.

Important: Whilst your claim is being processed you must continue to pay your council tax bill by the due dates.

The length of time the authority will pay an award is at our discretion.

Help for Households

The Crisis and Resilience fund can also help residents with other household financial problems. This can range from short-term monetary support to help with debt advice.

More information can be found at Help for Households – Ribble Valley Borough Council.

Your rights and duties

If you are unhappy with a decision that we have made in relation to your claim for a Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payment and/or Council Tax Support Discretionary Payment, you can ask for a reconsideration of the decision. You must do this in writing within one calendar month of notification.

You must also inform us within one calendar month of any change in your circumstances. If we are not notified within the time limit an overpayment may occur and you will have to pay this money back.

If you have any further questions regarding Crisis and Resilience Fund: Housing Payments and Council Tax Support contact benefits@ribblevalley.gov.uk or phone 01200 425111.