Frequently Asked Questions

Answer:

• Firstly, where your case is means-tested by the council it is possible for the council to legally ignore as weekly income any war pensions you receive - so mark these clearly on your claim form and show the proofs, so that if you are allowed this provision it happens automatically for you.
• Secondly, the Government currently provides the council with a small separate fund called the Discretionary Housing Payments Fund. Payments from the fund are allocated at the council's discretion to those claiming housing or council tax benefit who have a shortfall between their award and the costs they have to meet. These payments are not awarded indefinitely or continuously and are intended to be a short-term help for those customers who, for some reason, find that they are not able to meet their rent and council tax charges. A thorough examination of the customer's income and expenditure and reasons why they need help will be necessary to determine whether or not a payment can be awarded. There is more information and a claim form for this help on the Discretionary Housing Payments page.