Benefits and support Backdating your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support

Backdating benefit for working-age customers

'Working age' customers are people who are under the qualifying age for State Pension Credit. More about the qualifying age for State Pension Credit

Housing Benefit. We can sometimes backdate the start of your Housing Benefit for up to one month before the date you claimed.

Council Tax Support. We can sometimes backdate the start of your Council Tax Support for up to six months before the date you claimed.

In all cases you must have good reason for not claiming sooner, throughout the period that you are requesting backdating for.

It is up to you to show that you had good reason throughout the whole period.

It does not have to be the same reason throughout the period.

You will be expected to explain your reasons fully and give us evidence to support what you tell us.

Showing 'good reason' for not claiming sooner

Most reasons fall into one of the following broad categories, but this is not a full list:

  • You were so ill (physically or mentally) or unable to act for some other reason, that you could not make a claim or ask someone else to claim for you.
  • You were given bad or wrong advice about benefit by someone whom you should have been able to rely on to give you correct information, such as the Council, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or an advice agency.
  • You had good reasons to believe you couldn't claim, amounting to more than just not thinking or not caring.
  • There was something over which you had no control that prevented you from making a claim.

You also need to tell us

  • the date you want us to start your benefit from;
  • details and evidence of the money you had coming in during the time between the date you want your benefit to start and now; and
  • details of who was in your household at that time.

If you are making a claim there is a backdating section in our online claim form.

If you have already made a claim you can ask us separately about backdating. We need your request in writing and you must sign it. Write to the Benefits Service, PO Box 3, Manchester, M15 5BA. Or you can make an appointment to speak to an advisor who will take details of your request.

If we refuse to backdate your benefit

If we refuse to backdate your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support you can appeal against our decision .

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