Advice on Backdating Benefit
The aim of this section is to provide general guidance on backdating Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
We usually start paying benefit on the Monday after you contact us to make a claim. However, there are circumstances when we can backdate your benefit to an earlier date.
If you are under 60 we can backdate your benefit by up to 6 months before the date of your claim if you can show that:
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You had ‘good cause’ for not making your claim earlier
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You could not claim throughout the period you want your benefit backdated (whether for the same reason or different reasons)
How do I ask you to backdate my benefit?
You must write to us asking for your benefit to be backdated. Your letter should tell us:
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the date you would like your benefit backdated to; and
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your reasons for not claiming benefit at that time and since then
We will also need evidence of your income for the period you want the benefit backdated to (for example payslips) and any other information which you think may help your case (such as a letter from your doctor, if you were ill at the time).
If you are over 60 we will automatically backdate your claim for up to 3 months providing you qualify for Housing Benefit and or Council Tax Benefit during that period. You do not need to ask us to backdate your claim. We may however need to see proof of your income and capital for the last 3 months.
Further information is available in the Advice on Backdating Benefit| leaflet.