Help with paying your rent

Crisis and Resilience Fund - Housing Payments

From 1 April 2026, Discretionary Housing Payments have been replaced by Housing Payments which form part of the Crisis and Resilience Fund and can be awarded where an applicant requires short term financial assistance with housing costs.

We will consider making a Housing Payment award where a household faces financial difficulties which are causing exceptional hardship or putting a home at risk. It is a limited fund and unfortunately, we cannot help everyone.

Rent deposits or rent in advance

Due to a limited budget, these will only be considered if referred through the Housing Advice and Homeless Prevention Team.

Housing Payments can also cover:

Shortfalls in rent because of restrictions to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs.
Rent arrears that accrued during a period of award of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs.
Help towards moving costs into more suitable accommodation.

We always expect that all reasonable steps are being taken to claim any income and benefits entitlements and to be taking reasonable steps to reduce expenditure.

Eligibility

We can only consider an application for Housing Payment if you have been awarded

Housing Benefit or
Universal Credit that includes housing costs element

Cambridgeshire County Council send these out, and offer additional assistance if you are in a crisis situation.

What it won’t cover

Housing Payments will not cover:

meals
heating
lighting
hot water/water rates
service charges not covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit
rent increase from unpaid arrears
shortfalls from Housing Benefit overpayment recovery
repayments of Universal Credit advance payments
when Housing Benefit payments are suspended
certain sanctions or reductions in what you are entitled to
Council Tax

Applications for Housing Payments will only be paid in exceptional circumstances and if your move is to a home which has an affordable rent.

we will need to see statements for the last 2 months for all bank/savings accounts you and your partner have, so please upload these when you make your application.
if you have any documents supporting your application (like medical certificates or a doctor’s letter) please upload these as well.

How the outcome is decided

Each situation is different, so we carefully consider every case.

We look at the following things when looking at your application:

your income
your savings
if anyone else can help you
if you have any loans or debts
if you could manage your money better
if you or anyone in your family is ill or disabled
if you have tried to put the situation right yourself

We also check your total income and savings and compare this to your outgoings.

If needed, we might contact you to discuss your claim in more detail, perhaps in a meeting with our money advisory service or housing advice team.

Timeframe for making a decision

We will try to make a decision within 4 to 6 weeks from when we get your application. We'll let you know the outcome in writing.

What to do if you disagree with the decision

If you don't agree with our decision not to award a discretionary housing payment, or the amount we're giving you, you can ask us to review it.

Please tell us within 1 month of receiving our decision letter, explaining why you disagree. Keep in mind, you can't appeal to the Tribunals Service for this.

Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is used to work out how much Housing Benefit you can get when renting from a private landlord. The amount you can get depends on where you live and the number of bedrooms you are entitled to claim for.

Find out more about Local Housing Allowance on the Valuation Office Agency website

We can help you understand, apply for, and make sure you get all the benefits that you’re entitled to. If you think you need help in getting all the benefits you should, then please complete a financial support referral form.

Independent advice

If managing your money feels tough, it's important to get help as soon as possible. You can reach out to these organisations for independent advice:

Age UK: 0800 055 6112
Citizens Advice: 0345 404 0506
Money Advice: 0800 138 7777
National Debtline: 0808 808 4000
StepChange Debt Charity: 0800 138 1111

Risk of becoming homeless

If you’re at risk of becoming homeless or worried about your housing situation, it’s important to act as soon as possible. Call our Housing Advice Team on 01954 713 000 to book an appointment.