Discretionary Housing Payments - Facts and figures

The Discretionary Housing Payment Scheme is administered by local authorities and can assist tenants receiving:

• Housing Benefit
• Local Housing Allowance (LHA) or
• the Housing Costs Element of Universal Credit with the following expenditure:
  • where the amount of Housing Benefit in payment does not cover the full cost of rent
  • rent deposits.

You can look up detailed information including a guidance note on how the scheme is administered (PDF) [354KB] in Perth and Kinross.

Discretionary Housing Payment update 

Perth & Kinross Council's Scottish Welfare Fund Team administers the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government. Scottish Local Authorities receive a funding allocation on an annual basis from Scottish Government. 

In order to make the best use of the funding we receive, the Scottish Welfare Fund team takes a holistic approach to all decision-making in order to provide the best possible service to our customers. Our aim is to ensure that Perth and Kinross residents are receiving their full benefit entitlements to make the best use of the limited funding available. 

Please note that any awards of Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments are not taken into account when deciding DHP applications. 

Some ways in which we ensure we are making best use of the available funding is to explore the following: 

• Households affected by the "Bedroom Tax", we'll explore whether the "Bedroom Tax" should be applied to the household's circumstances or whether Housing Benefit or Universal Credit should be including any additional rooms in their calculations.
• Households affected by the Benefit Cap, we'll explore ways to remove the Benefit Cap to negate the need for Discretionary Housing Payments.

Perth & Kinross Council Discretionary Housing Payment Funding

Further statistics

You can find further statistics on the Discretionary Housing Payment Scheme on the Scottish Government website.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I receive a decision on my application?

In most cases you should receive a decision on your application within 21 days. If you do not hear within this timescale, it could be that we may be waiting on further information from you or we may be experiencing a high volume of applications.

My circumstances have not changed however the amount of DHP I have been awarded has been reduced.

The DHP budget allocated to PKC each financial year normally reduces resulting in less money to go round.

My DHP award has ended and I am struggling to pay the difference between my benefit and my rent. Is there any other help available?

There may be other Sources of Support (PDF) [108KB]  available or you can contact the Contact the Welfare Rights Team for further advice.

Can my DHP application be backdated?

Most DHP applications can be considered from the beginning of the financial year (April), however this cannot be guaranteed.  The more information you give us regarding the need for a backdate, the more likelihood that backdating will be successful.