If you are awarded council tax support, this will be automatically credited to your council tax account.

If your landlord is a housing association then you will have the choice of having your housing benefit paid to yourself or your landlord. We pay by bank transfer (BACS), so you will need to provide your bank details if you would like us to pay you the housing benefit.

If your landlord is a private landlord, under the local housing allowance scheme we will normally make payment to you by BACS. You will need to provide your bank details so we can pay your benefit directly. If you feel you would not be able to cope with receiving the benefit payments then please read our information on safeguarding.

If payment is made to you, then you will be paid fortnightly in arrears.

If payment is made to your landlord, then they will be paid monthly in arrears.

Benefit payments usually start from the Monday following the date we receive a recognised application form. Sometimes your claim can run from an earlier date if you can show that you had a good reason for failing to submit the form (for example, you were in hospital at the time). This is called backdating (see below).

Under housing benefit and council tax support law you must make your claim for benefit in writing, either on a benefit/support application form or by letter.

Normally we will start your claim from the Monday after we receive your application form or letter. It is therefore very important that you get your application form or letter to us as soon as possible because it affects the date your benefit claim will start from.

If you have contacted us for an application form you will have one month to return the form and evidence to us.