Sometimes Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support customers believe we should pay their benefit from a date before we receive their claim. This is called backdating.
Working age
Backdating is sometimes possible for Housing Benefit but only in limited circumstances and only for a maximum of one month.
For Council Tax Support backdating is not allowed under any circumstances for someone of working age. It is always best to make your claim as soon as possible.
Don’t delay in making your claim because you can’t get the evidence we need. Make your claim and provide the evidence later, but within one month.
Pension age
Different rules on this apply for people of Pension Age.
If you are of State Pension age then we can consider an award of Housing Benefit and/or Council tax Support for up to three months before we receive your claim.
You do not need to ask us to do this it will be considered automatically. If we need more information to do this we will let you know.
Need help?
Most issues can be resolved online, it's the quickest and most convenient way to get help.
Use our contact us form- Benefits
- The most frequently asked information and the solutions can be found using the blue button to the left and if none of the options on that page apply use the 'Request help with something not listed' option to contact us.
- 0300 1234 121
