[Your address]
								[Your telephone number]
[Your email address]
								[Date]

[Address of the Council’s housing benefit department]

By [first class post / hand / email to: [insert email address]


Dear Sirs

Re:	Request for direct payments of housing benefit to the landlord
	Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, SI No. 213, Regs 95 and 96
 	
I write to ask that you pay my housing benefit directly to my landlord [landlord’s name] of [landlord’s address].

I am currently in rent arrears of £[amount].  As my rent is £[amount] per [week/month], the arrears exceed eight weeks’ rent.   
[If you have an up to date rent statement, include the following sentence:] I enclose a statement of my rent account.
I am aware that if the Council decides rent arrears are equivalent to eight weeks’ rent arrears or more, it must pay benefit directly to the landlord (Regulation 95(1)(b)).
I would be grateful if you could consider continuing to make direct payments when my arrears reduce below the equivalent of eight weeks’ rent, because:
* a direct payment to the landlord will already have been made in respect of the current award of housing benefit (Regulation 96(3A)(b)(iii));
[Insert those bullet points below that apply and delete those that don’t apply in your situation]
* direct payments will help me retain my tenancy (Regulation 96(3)(b)(iv)) because:
* [Give details of your situation that show you need direct payments to help you keep your tenancy e.g. My landlord is likely to end my tenancy if my housing benefit is not paid directly to him.]
* it is improbable I will pay my rent (Regulation 96(3)(b)(ii)) because:
* [Give  details of your situation that show you’re unlikely to pay your rent if your housing benefit is not paid directly to your landlord, e.g. I find it very difficult to budget and ensure that my housing benefit money is used to pay my rent];
* [I have previously failed to pay the housing benefit I’ve received to my landlord];
* [etc.].
* I am likely to have difficulty in relation to the management of my financial affairs (Regulation 96(3A)(b)(i)), because: 
* [Give details of your situation that show you’re having difficulty managing your financial affairs e.g. What I pay out every week for essentials is more than what I receive in benefits];
* [etc].

I am anxious to demonstrate to my landlord that I am taking appropriate steps to address my rent arrears.  I am aware that, whatever your decision, you must notify the landlord (as a ‘person affected’ by the decision) in writing of the decision (Regulations 2 and 90(1), Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2001 SI No 1002, Regulation 3(1)(e)).
Thank you for your help in this matter.

Yours faithfully




[Your name]
	
Enc: 	Rent account statement 
Copy: 	[Name and address of landlord]










E&W_HB_CLAIMANT_03
From claimant to housing benefits
Requesting direct payment of benefit to landlord – 8 weeks’ rent arrears