As a tenant you are responsible for paying your rent to your landlord on time. This is the same as for tenants who do not get benefit.
If you do not pay your rent your landlord may apply to us to have your benefit paid to them. Or they may take other action to recover their money, including evicting your from your home.
Eviction means that:
- you will lose your home
- your benefit may not be paid to you in the future
- you may have difficulty finding new accommodation, as your landlord is unlikely to give you a reference
- you will still have to pay the landlord the money you owe and possibly extra money to cover any court costs
- an application for re-housing could be affected as you may be considered to have made yourself intentionally homeless
Help with managing your money and debt
If you're worried about managing your money or have debts, it's important to seek help. Ignoring these problems won't solve them, and it might lead to eviction. There are several organisations that offer free, impartial advice:
Age UK
For details, visit the Age UK website.
Citizens Advice Oxford
For contact details and opening times, visit the Citizens Advice Oxfordshire website.
StepChange Debt Charity
Get free, confidential debt advice from StepChange Debt Charity.
Debt Advice Foundation
For advice and contact details, visit the Debt Advice Foundation website.
Money Helper
For a free financial health check, visit the Money Helper website.
National Debtline
This telephone-based service offers debt advice in England, Wales, and Scotland. For more information, visit the National Debtline website.
Payplan
For free debt advice and management, visit the Payplan website.
Contact the Benefits Team
If you contact us about an existing claim please include your reference number.
Contact customer services
If you need to speak to us you can ring or visit our customer service centre.
