Backdating your Housing Benefit
Sometimes you can get Housing Benefit for a period before you put in your claim. This is known as backdating.
People of working age
If you are of working age, the maximum period for which a claim can be backdated is one month.
You will need to prove "good cause" for not applying earlier. This could be if:
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you were ill, and no one else could claim for you
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you were in hospital
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you did not understand you could claim - perhaps because of your age, inexperience, language problems or difficulty in understanding technical documents
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you were wrongly told you were not entitled to benefit by an official organisation
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you could not manage your own affairs
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a close relative died.
You should give us as much information and supporting evidence as possible. We will look at all the circumstances during the time you delayed making a claim and will decide if the delay was reasonable enough to allow backdating.
People of pension age
We can automatically backdate your Housing Benefit for up to three months. Your claim covers any period in the three months before the day the claim is received, but only back to the day you reached pension age, or the day you became liable for rent if this is later.
How do you get benefit backdated?
When you complete a claim form for Housing Benefit, there is a section in the form to request backdating. You should include a statement as to why you did not claim before.
Write to us, giving clear reasons why you did not make a claim earlier. Contact us.
It is important that you give as much information and supporting evidence as possible. Any documents to help support your backdate request should also be sent to us. This can include letters from a doctor, social worker or advice agency, where possible.
If your claim is not backdated, you have the right to dispute or appeal against our decision. See the details on Disputes and Appeals.