Benefits and help paying your rent

Universal Credit supports you if you are on a low income or out of work. It includes a monthly payment to help with your living costs.

Apply for Universal Credit [external link]

For Help and Support

• Universal Credit Helpline – 0800 328 5644
• Textphone – 0800 328 1344

Online Access is available at:

• Jobcentre Plus Office, Darlington
• Darlington Borough Council Customer Contact Centre at the Town Hall

If you require Assisted Digital Support to help to complete your online application or update your journal, or you require Personal Budgeting Support to help with managing your budget, you should speak to your Job Coach who will help arrange this.

Council Tax

for help to pay your Council Tax apply see our Council tax online forms page.

Discretionary Housing Payments

if your Universal Credit payment isn’t enough to pay your rent and you need help, apply for Discretionary Housing Payments online using our Benefits online forms page.

Help for Landlords

The Understanding Universal Credit website includes a landlord section [external link] containing lots of handy tips and facts to support landlords.

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It’s being replaced by Universal Credit.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if one of the following is true:

• you have reached State Pension age
• you live in temporary accommodation
• you live in sheltered or supported housing with special facilities such as alarms or wardens
• you’re staying in a hostel where care, support or supervision are provided

If you meet the criteria you can apply for housing benefit [external link]

Local Housing Allowance

Local housing allowance is paid directly into your bank or building society account. If you do not already have a bank or building society account, you may need to set one up.

We can pay Local housing allowance direct to your landlord if we decide you are vulnerable (this means you have difficulties managing your own affairs) or unlikely to pay your rent.

Evidence to support your request will need to be supplied to us, usually in writing. 

Safeguard policy [pdf document]

If you do not use your local housing allowance to pay your rent, your landlord may take you to court, or try to evict you and you may lose your home.

LHA rates from April 2023 - March 2024

Broad rental market area [pdf document]