Housing Benefit - Payment to Landlords
If your tenant has lived in your property since April 2008 or earlier and has claimed housing benefit without a break, they can choose to receive the benefit themselves or have it sent to the landlord or agent.
If your tenant claimed housing benefit at your address after April 2008 the tenant will receive the payment unless any of the following apply:
- they are 8 or more weeks in rent arrears
- they are unable or unlikely to pay their rent
- the tenant is vulnerable
- direct payments to the landlord would help them secure or retain the tenancy
If as the landlord you believe that the housing benefit payment should be paid directly to you, you should make a request to the Council and provide evidence to support the condition above that applies. To do this send an email to benefits@newham.gov.uk and ensure you include your full contact details and those of the tenant.
If you receive direct payments of housing benefit for your tenant you can use the Housing Benefit Portal for Landlords to track, review and report changes.
Direct payments to you as the landlord will stop and revert back to the tenant once the relevant condition no longer applies e.g. the tenants arrears reduce below 8 weeks.
Changes in tenants circumstances
Where you as the landlord are receiving housing benefit payments directly you have a legal duty to tell the Council about any changes that might affect the tenant's housing benefit. Changes to report include but are not limited to:
- the tenant changing address,
- changes to the people living with the tenant,
- changes in the tenancy or rent amount,
- he tenant starting to work.
Landlords right to appeal
As a landlord you can only appeal a housing benefit decision where it relates to:
- whether to pay housing benefit to you as the landlord
- the recovery of an overpayment of housing benefit from you as the landlord