Slough Borough Council

Can my claim for Housing Benefits be backdated?

It is possible to backdate Housing benefit up to 52 weeks.

In order to do this, you must be the person eligible to receive housing benefit, have an existing claim for housing benefit, and be able to provide proof that there was a continuous good cause for not making the claim originally. You must make the claim in writing.

Please ring the helpline on 01753 875348 / 875349 for further advice.

Changes from 7 April 2008 – Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance is a new way of working out new claims for Housing Benefit for tenants renting accommodation from a private landlord in Slough and nationally. It also affects tenants already getting Housing Benefit who move into accommodation rented from a private landlord. Local Housing Allowance is being introduced on 7 April, 2008. If you live in council accommodation or other social housing, Local Housing Allowance will not affect you.

Therefore, if you are renting privately a claim for backdating may be affected depending on whether you have asked for your claim to be backdated to a date before 7 April 2008.

If we have decided to backdate your claim to before 7 April 2008, we will class the date you claim as being before the Local Housing Allowance regulations came into force. As a result, your maximum Housing Benefit will depend on what the Rent Officer decides. You will only change to Local Housing Allowance when you move or if you stop claiming and then start again.

If you ask for your claim to be backdated to a date after 7 April 2008 and we agree to do this, your Local Housing Allowance rate will be based on the figures that apply for the month you have asked your claim to start from. This may be different to the figures for the month you have claimed in. We will review your Local Housing Allowance rate on the anniversary of the start of your claim.

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