Housing Shortfall Assistance Scotland
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Discretionary housing payments are already available in Scotland for people who get Housing Benefit or Universal Credit and need additional help with rent. Housing assistance will be a new Scottish benefit. It will be paid to people who get Universal Credit (UC) and who need extra help with rent in very specific circumstances.
TIMELINE
June 2018 Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018
Sets out framework rules for housing assistance
To follow Consultation on regulations
OVERVIEW OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE
When it’s introduced, you could get housing assistance if your UC award is reduced by the bedroom tax or benefit cap.
ELIGIBILITY IF YOU’RE AFFECTED BY THE BEDROOM TAX OR BENEFIT CAP
The bedroom tax affects people renting from a local authority or housing association who get Universal Credit to help pay the rent. If you’ve got more bedrooms than the rules say you need, your Universal Credit is reduced. You can apply for discretionary housing payments from your local authority to help pay the rent.
The Scottish Government now has the power to decide how much help with rent people can get in Universal Credit. It says that it will no longer make bedroom tax reductions. This isn’t expected to happen before 2020 because of changes needed to the universal credit system to make it possible.
When the change is made and there are no bedroom tax reductions, some people will see their extra Universal Credit reduced by the benefit cap instead. They could get housing assistance from Social Security Scotland to make up the difference. It will be paid with their Universal Credit.
The bedroom tax also affects people under pension credit age who get Housing Benefit. The Scottish Government doesn’t have power over Housing Benefit. You can apply for discretionary housing payments from your local authority to help pay the rent shortfall.