When will you receive Housing Benefit payments

Payments for housing association tenants

You can ask for Housing Benefit to be paid to you or direct to your housing association.

If Housing Benefit is paid to you

You can ask for payments to be made either every four weeks or every two weeks. Payments will be made in arrears - this means that you will receive the payment at the end of the period it covers.

You can ask to be paid either by cheque or direct to your bank or building society account. You might have to pay a fee to cash your cheque at a money shop or other establishment. This will reduce the amount available to you to pay your rent.

If Housing Benefit is paid to your housing association

We will make payments in line with payments for other tenants for the same housing association. Payments are usually made every four weeks, at the end of the period they cover.

We will send the housing association a breakdown of the total payment, showing the amount for each tenant. Your housing association should then credit your Housing Benefit entitlement to your rent account.

Ask us to change how Housing Benefit is paid