A Discretionary Housing Payment is a discretionary and short-term payment made in the United Kingdom that helps people with their
housing
Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether it ...
costs
[
]
Shelter: Discretionary housing payments (DHP)
(Accessed 30 Aug 2019)
To get a Discretionary Housing Payment a person must be in receipt of
Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit is a means-tested social security benefit in the United Kingdom that is intended to help meet housing costs for rented accommodation. It is the second biggest item in the Department for Work and Pensions' budget after the state ...
or
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is a United Kingdom social security payment. It is means-tested and is replacing and combining six benefits for working-age households with a low income: income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's ...
. Application is to the Local Authority. Central-government regulations and guidance require each Local Authority to make decisions on a case-by-case basis but also to have a policy.
A similar
Exceptional Hardship Payment exists.
References
External links
*
Government webpage (Accessed Aug 2019)
*
DWP: Discretionary Housing Payments Guidance Manual Including Local Authority Good Practice Guide August 2019 (Accessed Aug 2019)
Housing in the United Kingdom
Welfare in the United Kingdom
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