Most working age people who need help to pay their rent will receive Universal Credit (UC) which is issued by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Those who are pension age, or those who have not yet transitioned to Universal Credit, may receive Housing Benefit, which is issued by the local Council.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a single monthly payment for people who are of working age and on a low income. It is usually paid as a single monthly payment to a whole household and can include help towards housing costs.

It is normally paid direct to the claimant, and it is their responsibility to pay the rent themselves. However, in some circumstances housing costs can be paid straight to the landlord, and this is known as an Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA). If your contract-holder (tenant) is having difficulty paying their rent, you can request a Managed Payment to Landlord from the DWP. For further information regarding how Universal Credit is assessed, how your contract holder can claim, and how to apply for an APA visit GOV.UK website.

Housing Benefit

If your contract-holder (tenant) receives Housing Benefit and has signed the sharing information section on the Housing Benefit application form, you can ask about your contract-holder’s benefit claim.

You can contact us via email benefits@cardiff.gov.uk or call 029 2087 1071.

You will need to provide:

  • your name or company name,
  • your address or company address, and
  • your contract-holder’s name and address.

There is certain information we can share with you. For example:

  • whether your contract-holder has claimed or renewed their claim for housing benefit, and details of the date they made this claim,
  • whether we have decided if they are entitled to benefit,
  • whether we have made a payment to your contract-holder and date of entitlement, and
  • whether we need more information to decide on your contract-holder’s claim and what general information we need.

They cannot tell you:

  • the amount of benefit calculated,
  • the reasons for a benefit decision or how we calculated it, or
  • specific details we have requested from the contract-holder.

In certain situations, they can also discuss whether your contract-holder’s:

  • claim has been suspended, or
  • claim has been cancelled.

Receiving Housing Benefit payments

If your contract-holder is receiving Housing Benefit, it will usually be paid directly to them, unless they are protected by the safeguard policy and have applied to be placed onto this. Examples of when the safeguard policy will be used are:

  • if there are rent arrears of eight weeks or more,
  • if there is evidence that the contract-holder is unlikely to pay their rent,
  • if the contract-holder has difficulty managing their money, or
  • if the landlord has helped to secure or retain their tenancy.

If the contract holder receives housing benefit directly and does not pay their rent, you should contact us immediately. We will suspend further payments until a full investigation has been carried out. Usually, you will need to provide proof of non payment for us to consider making any further payments directly to the landlord rather than the contract-holder.

Contact us

If your contract-holder is experiencing difficulties paying their rent, they should contact us on 029 2087 1071 or pop into a Hub.

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