You can ask us to backdate your Housing Benefit for a period before you made your claim.
We may be able to backdate your Housing Benefit for:
- three months if you are of pension age
- one month if you are of working age
You can use our online form to ask us to backdate your Housing Benefit
To complete this form you will need:
- your benefits claim reference number
- your name, address and contact details
- your email address
- the date you want to backdate your benefits to
- why you want your benefits backdated
Backdating for pension age claimants
We can backdate your Housing Benefit for up to three months if you are of pension credit age.
We will do this automatically once you ask us to. You don't have to give reasons for not claiming earlier.
We won't backdate your Housing Benefit claim for the full three months if you were not:
- of pension credit age or
- paying rent on your current home for all that time
We will treat you as a working age claimant if you or your partner have reached pension credit age but are getting:
- income support
- income based Job Seekers Allowance
- income related Employment and Support Allowance
Backdating for working age claimants
We can backdate your Housing Benefit for up to one month if you are of working age.
You must:
- ask us to backdate your Housing Benefit claim
- have a good reason for claiming late
