Manage your account online
As a landlord you can access your account information online to view letters issued to you, and payment schedules in relation to your tenants.
Allerdale area
Copeland area
Carlisle area
How benefit payments are made to a landlord
Some residents have had their Housing Benefit paid to their landlord for a number of years as they may have been able to choose if the benefit is paid to them or directly to the landlord.
The introduction of Local Housing Allowance changed this for private landlords. Generally, anyone eligible for Housing Benefit that is subject to Local Housing Allowance, will have their Housing Benefit paid directly to them. However, if they can show satisfactory reasons why it would be in their best interests for the landlord to be paid directly then this payment method can be arranged.
If a tenant has more than eight weeks rent arrears
If your tenant continues to live in the property, we are then pay the benefit directly to you.
If your tenant falls into this category. contact the Benefit team in your area:
If the benefit is paid directly to the landlord then we are permitted to share the following information:
- the dates on which the benefit entitlement started and ended
- the weekly amount of benefit entitlement
- the amount of benefits paid and dates of those payments
- when a claim decision has been made
- when the entitlement ends
- when a claim is suspended
The responsibility for supplying evidence of income and liability remains with the tenant.
Money owed when a tenant leaves
This decision is based on a tenant’s individual circumstances. As a landlord, you are legally required to contact us as soon as you are aware that tenant has left their property, if the tenant is in receipt of Housing Benefit. The tenant’s current circumstances will then be assessed and a decision will be made around paying off any rent arrears.
Rent that is owed to landlord under the terms of the tenancy is between the tenant and the landlord and we deal solely with the Housing Benefit entitlement for the period the tenant is living in the property. Housing Benefit cannot be used to cover any unserved notice periods, the cost of lost keys or the disposal of personal belongings.
If you receive overpayments from Housing Benefits
If you receives a sum of Housing Benefit that is more than a tenant is entitled to, you may be required to repay the overpayment.
This applies where it is reasonable to expect you to repay the overpayment, for example when a tenant has vacated the property and you continue to receive the tenant’s Housing Benefit.
Housing Benefit is not payable for any period after the tenant has vacated the property, even if the tenant has not given any notice.
When an overpayment occurs we will notify you of the following:
- which tenant the overpayment applies to
- amount of the overpayment
- period that the overpayment covers
- reason for the overpayment
Landlords’ rights of appeal
You have the right to appeal decisions made by the council relating to us refusing to pay Housing Benefit directly to you, or seeking to recover any overpayments made directly yourself.
You do not have the right to appeal when payments are made directly to the tenant.
The appeal must be in writing, state the reasons for the appeal and be made within one calendar month of any decisions made by us.