Financial help - Private Renters in Camden

Financial help

A change to your circumstances may mean that you are struggling to pay the rent and other bills.

Speak to your landlord first as they could be sympathetic, especially if you've lost your job or seen your income reduce. They might agree to a rent reduction or accept a late payment to your rent. Get any agreement in writing.

Use Shelter’s template letter to help negotiate a rent reduction. 

You should also:

• See what benefits you can get
• Look to see if you can claim discretionary housing payments 
• Get debt advice

Find out more from Shelter how to get help with rent.

Local benefit and debt advice

Advice about how you can maximise your income and save money on bills is available locally. There are a range of advice agencies in Camden that provide independent advice.

• Council Tax support 
• Welfare Assistance Fund 
• Discretionary Housing Payment 
• Financial support for residents

Discretionary Housing Payments 

If you’re receiving Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, but still need help paying your rent, you may be able to receive a Discretionary Housing Payment. 

A Discretionary Housing Payment might be given if your benefit has been restricted due to the number of bedrooms you have, or due to the local housing allowances, or if you are affected by the benefit cap. These are only examples.

You can only get this top up payment to cover rent owed in the weeks when you are also claiming Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit. 

There are other circumstances in which a payment cannot be made. These are shown in the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001.

The decision on whether to make a payment, and the amount of any payment, are at the discretion of the Council. The amount we can spend each year depends on the amount of money we receive from central government. Not everyone who claims will be given assistance or will receive the amount they apply for.

Payments may be either one payment or a series of payments, for example monthly. 

Please read the notes on the application form before making an application.

Claim a Discretionary Housing Payment

Discretionary Housing Payment policy

Examples of when a Discretionary Housing Payment might be paid

A Discretionary Housing Payment might be paid if (there may be reasons not listed):

• Your housing benefit has been restricted because of the number of bedrooms you have 
• Your housing benefit has been restricted because of the local housing allowances 
• You are affected by the benefit cap
• You have medical expenses or other outgoings which most people do not have  
• You have exceptional hardship  

A Discretionary Housing Payment will not be paid for the following:

• Water, meals, fuel or other ineligible charges included in your rent
• Shortfall in housing benefit due to an overpayment being recovered
• Rent arrears for a period when you were not on housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit
• Shortfall caused by certain sanctions and reductions in benefit.