Crisis and Resilience Fund

Housing Payments

Apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment by filling out this form.

Discretionary Housing Payments have been replaced by Housing payments within the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Housing Payments may be awarded where the applicant is entitled to:

• Housing Benefit (HB), or
• Universal Credit (UC) with an element for housing costs, including Shared Ownership properties with a rental liability.

And where :

• Evidence is provided which demonstrates that you are in financial hardship and that your tenancy or housing situation will be at risk if further support is not provided. 

Please fill out this online form to complete a Crisis and Resillience Fund - Housing Payment application. 

What you'll get

Housing costs can include:

• Rental liability (ongoing rent)
• Rent in advance
• Tenancy deposit
• Removal or relocation costs
• Other lump-sum payments essential for securing or preventing homelessness Housing Payments cannot be greater than what you're responsible to pay for your weekly rent. They are not long-term payments. They are awarded on a short-term basis while you take action to improve your circumstances. Support can be provided through our Financial Welfare Team
• Payments will usually be made to the applicant, but we may pay your landlord in certain circumstances

To Apply

You'll need to tell us:

• what help you need
• why you think you should get extra payment towards your rent
• what your circumstances are
• any action you have taken to help yourself
  the money you have coming in to your household (income) and the money you pay out each week/month (expenditure).
• you will also need to provide recent bank statements for all accounts held by you and your partner ( if you have one)
• an up-to-date rent statement from your landlord showing any arrears outstanding and payments you have made

You'll also need to send supporting evidence separately by uploading it on our website, by email to benefits@ashford.gov.uk or by post to Benefits, Ashford Borough Council, International House, Dover Place, Ashford. TN23 1HU Remember to include your name and address on any paperwork you send us.

Please fill out this online form to complete a Crisis and Resillience Fund - Housing Payment application. 

How we make a decision

When you have completed and submitted the claim form we will consider all aspects of your circumstances before we decide if we can award you a Housing Payment.

We may contact you to ask for further information and discuss your application

CRF housing payments cannot be awarded for any of the following:

• Ineligible service charges
• Sanctions and reductions in benefit under regulations 100 to 114 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 or due to a breach of a community service order
• shortfalls caused by Housing Benefit and/or Universal Credit overpayment recovery
• Periods of Housing Benefit suspensions where there is a doubt in entitlement or because it has not been possible to assess entitlement as sufficient information has not been provided for the housing benefit claim.  If you are awarded a Housing Payment and we later find out you should not have been entitled to it, we may ask you to return the money.

Request a review of our decision

If your application for a Housing Payment is turned down and there is something you feel we have not considered or were not aware of, you can ask for us to look at our decision again.

You must contact us by email at benefits@ashford.gov.uk or write to us using the address above within one month of the date that your claim is turned down.