Under certain circumstances you can request that your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support start from a date prior to when you submitted your claim. This is known as ‘backdating’.
Claimants under pensionable age
Where a claimant is under pensionable age, backdating can only be approved where exceptional circumstances prevented a claim from being made earlier.
Claimants over pensionable age
If you're over pensionable age your claim will automatically be backdated for up to three months. You don't need to apply for this or explain why you didn't apply sooner, unless you're receiving Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance. If you think your claim should have been backdated, but hasn’t been, let us know.
Reasons for not submitting an application sooner
If you feel you have a valid reason for not submitting an application sooner, you'll be asked to provide supporting evidence. For example, if you have been too ill to apply, we will request a letter from your doctor to support this.
Forgetting to claim or being unaware that you could backdate a claim are not legitimate reasons to request a claim be backdated.
Timescales
You can request that your claim is backdated for up to:
- one month prior to your application for Housing Benefit
- thirteen weeks prior to your application for Council Tax Support.
Apply online
You'll need to provide proof of all your income and capital for the period you want to claim backdated benefit.
Submit your claim as soon as possible even if you can't provide the required evidence, as this can be submitted later.
Apply to have your claim backdated
Next Steps
We'll consider your request and send a decision in writing. If you don't agree with the decision you can appeal in writing. Details of how to request a revision or make an appeal will be on your notification letter.