How your benefit is paid
If you are entitled to Council Tax Support it will show as a reduction on your bill. If you are a council tenant, your benefit is paid directly to your rent account every week.
If you are not a council tenant, we will pay your housing benefit to you fortnightly in arrears. Payment will normally be made by BACS (directly into your bank account). You can ask us to pay by BACS on your application form or by completing our payment by BACS request form.
If your Housing Benefit is paid to your landlord, it will be paid to them every four weeks in arrears.
In most cases, you will no longer be able to choose to have payment made to your landlord – your LHA entitlement will be paid direct to you, straight into your bank account.
If you fall behind with paying your rent by eight weeks or more, your landlord can ask us to pay your housing benefit directly to them without your consent.