Rent arrears
If you believe that your tenant is claiming Housing Benefit and
has rent arrears you should inform the Council's Benefit Office as soon as problems start
to occur.
We will not be able to discuss the benefit claim with you but
your information will be acted upon.
The Council may suspend payment of Housing Benefit and ask your
tenant why the rent is not being paid. Payment will not be
reinstated until the Council is satisfied that the problem has been
resolved.
If the tenant is in dispute with the landlord, the Council
cannot become involved in the cause of the dispute.
In the meantime, payment of Housing Benefit usually remains
suspended. When the dispute is resolved, Housing Benefit is
reinstated from the date it was suspended and payment made.
In cases where there are eight weeks or more rent arrears, the
Council may make payments direct to you without having to have your
tenant's consent.
Where your tenant is in arrears with the rent and you want
Housing Benefit paid directly to you, you must request this in
writing. The Council will consider your request and decide if
payment should be made to you or not. If you are dissatisfied with
the decision you have a right of appeal. See Landlords' Rights of Appeal.
Payment of your tenant's Housing Benefit must be made direct to
you where the council has been notified by the DWP that they are
paying you direct an amount towards rent arrears or for fuel
deductions from your tenant's Income Support / Job Seekers
Allowance.