From 1 April 2026, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) will be replaced by the new Crisis Resilience Fund Housing Payment (CRFHP).
You can continue to apply for the current DHP scheme until Tuesday 31 March 2026 and all applications should still be submitted using the existing DHP form and email address, with a new form and email being introduced later this year.
Awards under the current scheme will continue to be made, subject to available funding and any payments you have already been awarded will carry on as outlined in your decision letter.
You do not need to take any action now. The eligibility requirements for the new CRFHP will remain the same as the current DHP scheme.
The evidence requirements are expected to stay the same while the local scheme is still being designed.
Please note: No award can be made if the required evidence is not uploaded with your application at the time of submission.
What happens if you have recently:
- Received a DHP
Your current award will continue as agreed. We will contact you if you need to do anything.
From Wednesday 1 April 2026, if your circumstances change or a previous award ends, you can apply for extra help through the new CRFHP. - Applied and are waiting on a decision
If you have recently applied for a DHP payment, your application will be processed under the scheme that is running at the time you applied.
All applications will be assessed by our team, and you will be contacted if they require additional information/documents, eg. Bank statements and proof of rental liability. - Been unsuccessful in a recent application
If you were not successful in a recent DHP application and your circumstances change in the future, you can apply under the new CRFHP from Wednesday 1 April. - Asked the council to reconsider a DHP decision
There is no right of appeal against a DHP decision. However, if you believe the decision is incorrect, you can ask us to reconsider it.
If you have requested that we review a DHP decision before Wednesday 1 April 2026, we will assess your request in line with the DHP policy that was in place at the time the decision was made.
This means your reconsideration will be reviewed under the current DHP policy in place prior to the introduction of the new scheme. Once we have completed the review, we will write to you to confirm the outcome. The decision following a reconsideration will be final.