Backdated Benefit

Backdated Benefit

What is backdated benefit?

Backdating a claim allows an authority to award benefit for a period prior to the date the application was made (or is deemed to have been made). In order that the authority may consider backdating a claim, the claimant must make a written request.

How do I get my claim backdated?

When you apply for Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit, your claim will normally be assessed from the Monday after you tell us you want to claim. We may be able to pay you benefit from an earlier date, if there was a good cause for the delay in making your claim. Benefit can be backdated for a maximum of up to:

• 6 months for working age (customers less than 60 years of age)
• 3 months for pension age (customer 60 and over)

What is a good cause?

A good cause is any reason that stopped you from making a claim for benefit earlier.

In order for a claim to be backdated we must be satisfied that:

• you have shown good cause for failing to claim earlier and
• that good cause existed continuously for the whole of the period you are requesting backdated benefit for.

You should give as much information as you can for the whole of the backdated benefit period. You may have more than one reason for not claiming sooner, you must tell us about all of those reasons.

The following may be considered good cause for the backdating of your benefit claim:

• death of a close relative
• you or a member of your household was in hospital, seriously ill, under stress or emotional pressure, which led to the delay in making your claim
• you were given wrong or misleading information from an official person, for example council officers, the Department for Work and Pensions or an Advice Agency
• you have difficulty communicating/understanding and there is no one to help you.

These are not the only reasons, which may be considered as showing good cause for the backdating. Each application will be looked at on its own merit.

There are some reasons, which on their own are not normally considered as good cause for backdating an application:

• arrears of council tax or rent
• mislaying or forgetting to post the application form
• not claiming because you thought you would not qualify.

Again each claim will be looked at individually and REMEMBER the more information and evidence you can provide the better.