How to Claim Backdated Benefit

What usually happens?

Generally, Housing Benefit will start from the Monday following the date a claim is received.

The claim can be made:

• directly to the Housing Executive, or
• through a Social Security Office if you are claiming Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, or
• through the Pension Service if you are claiming Pension Credit
• Download our HBL2 form (PDF 65KB) which contains a request slip for backdating benefit.

I think I should get Housing Benefit from an earlier date. What can I do?

Write and tell us why you think we should backdate your Housing Benefit. If you find this difficult or you would like some help, we will be happy to help you. You can also get help from an advice agency such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.

What happens next?

The law allows us to backdate a Housing Benefit claim for a maximum period of 3 months if you are aged over 60, or 6 months if you are aged under 60, before you made your claim. You must show you had ‘good cause’ for not claiming throughout that period. To backdate your claim, we must be satisfied that a reasonable person of your age, health and experience would have acted in the same way as you did.

What do you mean by ‘good cause’?

You should give us the reasons why you did not claim earlier. We will look carefully at your reasons and decide whether you have proved ‘good cause’ for the backdating period.

‘Good cause’ can mean different things. Here are some examples:

• If you were waiting for a decision on another benefit
• If you were ill before you claimed
• If you did not immediately claim after leaving hospital
• If you were wrongly told that you were not entitled to benefit
• If you could not manage your affairs
• If you did not understand that you could claim – perhaps because of your age, language problems or some other reason.

This is not a complete list. You should tell us your reasons for not claiming earlier and we will consider them carefully. When we have made a decision we will write to you.

What can I do if you do not backdate my benefit?

You can use the Housing Benefit appeal procedure if you disagree with our decision.