Backdating your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

Sometimes Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit customers think we should pay their benefit from a date before we received their claim. In other words, they want us to 'backdate' their benefit.

Backdating is sometimes possible but it can only be done in limited circumstances so it is always best to make your claim as soon as possible. For example don't delay your claim because you can't get the evidence we need. Send your claim to us and provide the evidence later.

If you do need us to backdate your benefit, the rules about when we can backdate are different for different groups of people. It depends on whether or not you have reached the qualifying age for State Pension. You can see more about this and calculate your State Pension age on the Directgov website.

Pension age customers (those who have reached qualifying age for State Pension)

We can sometimes backdate the start of your benefit (but not education benefits) for up to three months before the date you claimed. You do not need to tell us why you didn't claim sooner, we should look out for claims we can backdate, but let us know if you think we should have backdated your claim and haven't.

Working age customers (under the qualifying age for State Pension)

We can sometimes backdate the start of your benefit (but not education benefits) for up to six months before the date you claimed. You must have good reason for not claiming sooner throughout the period that you are asking for backdating for.(Please note that this includes some men who are under 65 but over the qualifying age for State Pension whilst the pension age is being equalised for men and women.)