If you are facing or already have a shortfall in your housing benefit:
Talk to the Landlord
Although it might be daunting, it is well worth talking to your landlord when your housing benefit is cut. If the shortfall is not too large, it’s possible that the landlord might agree to a reduction in the rent. From the landlord’s perspective it might be worth a small reduction to keep you in the property, and to avoid the cost of eviction, the property being empty and finding new tenants.
The Council may be able to make direct payments of housing benefit to private landlords if they agree to reduce the rent to within the current rates of housing benefit.
If you’d like some moral support or help with negotiating with your landlord, you can access help and advice from many of the organisations listed on the ‘Where to get help?’ page, including Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau.
Maximise your Income
Are you getting everything you’re entitled to? It’s worth double-checking everything in case you’re overpaying income tax, or you’re not receiving all the benefits and tax credits that you’re entitled to.
It’s estimated that over £10 billion in benefits and tax credits goes unclaimed each year because people don’t know they’re entitled.
You can check online at Hackney Council’s online benefit calculator or talk to an experienced adviser at many of the organisations listed on the ‘Where to get help?’ page, including Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau.
You can also find out about grants from charities and local organisations on the Turn2Us website.
Apply for Discretionary Housing Payment
You can apply to the Council for Discretionary Housing Payment to help pay the shortfall between rent and housing benefit. This is discretionary so an award is not guaranteed, and it is temporary. But it could make the difference in giving you time to find somewhere else to live or to seek further help.
Contact the Housing Benefit team at the Council to find out how to apply for Discretionary Housing Payment, and you can get help and advice with making the claim from many of the organisations listed on our ‘Where to get help?’ page, including Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau.
Find out about your Housing Options
If the shortfall between housing benefit and rent is so high that it won’t be possible to stay on in the tenancy, you may need to consider moving to other accommodation. You may be entitled to help with housing from the local authority. You can find out more from the Housing Options team at Hackney Council and you can access help and advice from many of the organisations listed on our ‘Where to get help?’ page, including Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau.
It may be possible to apply for Discretionary Housing Payment to pay towards the cost of deposit and rent in advance to move into private rented accommodation within the current rates of housing benefit.
If you’re being evicted:
You don’t have to move out on the last day of your tenancy’s fixed term.
You don’t have to move out when you receive a possession notice or a possession order.
Your landlord can only evict you if s/he gets a court order, and even then you have the right to stay until s/he gets a bailiff’s warrant.
You can access free specialist advice on eviction from an experienced adviser at Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau, Shelter, Hackney Law Centre and other advice agencies and solicitors in the borough.
You may be entitled to help with housing if you are being evicted, contact the Housing Options team at Hackney Council.
It may also be possible to apply for Discretionary Housing Payment to pay towards the cost of deposit and rent in advance to move into private rented accommodation within the current rates of housing benefit.