Briefing paper: Discretionary Housing Payments: Good practice
Mar 2021
Summary:
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of having a home as an essential place of safety. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are one of the most useful and flexible financial tools available to local authorities to help people to keep their place of safety and to prevent homelessness.
Funding for DHPs is given to local authorities by the UK government, via the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This briefing outlines some lessons for effective use of DHPs. It is based on good practice we have evidenced through our housing advice casework, and through conversations with four Welsh local authorities that achieved particularly good results with DHPs.
Research Area: Benefits, coronavirus, Housing, Renting, Tenancies
Type of publication: Briefing paper
Keywords: benefits, council services, Evictions, private rented sector, rent arrears, renting, Tenancies
