How you receive your payments
If you do not have one, think about opening a basic bank account or a Walsave credit union account. Most banks will not allow you to borrow money with a basic account, so you should not get into debt.
LHA
If you rent from a private landlord we will usually pay your Housing Benefit by BACS directly into your bank or Walsave account.
Social housing
We usually pay your Housing Benefit direct to your landlord.
Alternatively, we can pay your Housing Benefit by BACS into your bank or Walsave account and it will be up to you to pay your landlord.
Sharing information with your landlord
By law, we must tell your landlord about certain decisions we make. For example, we will tell them if we decide to pay your Housing Benefit directly to them. This is set out in the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006.
With your consent, we may also tell your landlord:
- details that affect your claim, for example, the tenancy start date
- if you have claimed Housing Benefit
- when we have made a claim decision
We will not share information about your personal, household or financial circumstances. We will not share any other information without your consent.
Consent
We need your consent to discuss some details with your landlord. You can find out more about our responsibility to your data on our data protection pages.
When you are making your claim, you can choose to give your consent by agreeing in the application form.
You can contact us to withdraw your consent at any time.