Discretionary Housing Payments are revealed

Havant Borough Council, East Hampshire District Council and Basingstoke & Deane District Council will each receive more than £100,000 to help with the cost of discretionary housing payments (DHPs).

As a part of the Household Support Fund extension agreed by the government last November, £1,001,000 will be distributed to district and borough councils in Hampshire to support households with exceptional housing costs during the next financial year.

It will be dished out on behalf of the government by Hampshire County Council.

Leading the list, the three first councils that will receive the highest amount will be Havant (£140,000), East Hampshire (£119,000) and Basingstoke & Deane (£110,000).

Ones that will receive a lower amount are: Hart District Council (£59,000), Fareham Borough Council (£60,000) and Gosport Borough Council (£63,000).

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) established that ‘the grant guidance states that in exceptional cases of genuine emergency and where existing housing schemes do not meet the exceptional need, support for housing costs can be met’.

The fund can be used in emergency circumstances to support ‘historic’ rent arrears built up before an existing benefit claim for households already in receipt of Universal Credit and Housing Benefits.

The Household Support Fund can’t be used to support unsustainable tenancies or to provide mortgage support.

The executive lead member for the children’s services decision day, Cllr Edward Heron, was due to approve the allocation today.