Backdating

What backdating is

Backdating Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is where we pay you Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for a period that happened before the date you started to claim. However, there are rules about when and why backdating can happen.

Backdating for people over the age of 60

If you are over 60 and able to claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax, we can backdate your claim for up to 3 months before the date when you made your claim, provided that you would have been entitled to claim during those 3 months.

The Backdating for people over the age of 60 will happen automatically, but we will need to see proof of your income, savings if they are £10,000 or more, and rent for that period when you make your claim.

Backdating for people under the age of 60

If you are under the age of 60, you will be unable to have your claim backdated, unless you have good cause as to why your claim was made late. Depending upon the good cause you give for making your claim late, we could backdate your claim for up to 6 months.

Possible good causes for backdating claims for people under the age of 60

If you have good cause for not claiming Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit at an earlier date, it is important that you tell us straight away, in writing, about your this, with details, such as the dates when you were unable to claim and reasons for this.

You must provide proof supporting the reasons why you were unable to claim at an earlier date – for example medical certificates and hospital letters.

You must also provide proof of the income, savings and the rent you paid during the period when you were unable to claim.

Examples of good causes for not applying for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are:

• You were ill and had no one to help you make your claim;
• You were waiting for a decision regarding a different benefit;
• You were told, incorrectly, by an official organisation, that you were unable to claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, when in fact you were entitled to do so;
• A close relative had died;
• You were unable to manage your own affairs and had no one to help you;
• You did not claim immediately after leaving hospital, prison, or long term care;
• You did not understand that you could claim.

Possible reasons for not realising you could claim are:

• Your age
• You did not know how benefits work
• You have language difficulties
• You have difficulty understanding technical documents

Where to go for more information about backdating