Apply for benefits and financial support

Universal Credit has replaced Housing Benefit for most residents in Dumfries and Galloway. You can apply if you meet certain criteria.

How to qualify

You may be able to claim Housing Benefit if any of the following apply to you:

• you are you living in supported accommodation
• we have put you in temporary accommodation
• you have reached Pension Credit age and you do not have a partner
• you have a partner and you have both reached Pension Credit age

The amount of Housing Benefit you get could be affected by the bedroom tax, if an assessment shows you have more bedrooms that you need. If this happens you may be able to claim a Discretionary Housing Payment.

How to apply

Apply for Housing Benefit

You can also call 030 33 33 3006 or visit a customer service centre to apply.

If you are liable for Council Tax we'll use your application to check if you also qualify for Council Tax Reduction.

After you apply

It normally takes about 2 weeks to process an application, as long as you've given us all the information we need.

When you apply we'll tell you if you should claim Universal Credit instead of Housing Benefit.

If you do not qualify

If you're unhappy with a Housing Benefit decision, you can ask for a review. If you're still not happy, you can appeal the decision.

Step 1: get an explanation for the decision

The first step in the appeal process is to send us an enquiry about your claim.

Send us an enquiry about your claim

We will normally contact you within 7 days to explain how we calculated your claim.

Step 2: ask us for a revew of the decision

If you're unhappy with our explanation you can ask us to review the decision. You must ask for this within one month of getting the original benefit decision letter, which will have details of where to send your review.

In your request, you must provide:

• the date and reference number from your original benefit decision letter
• the reason you disagree with our decision
• any extra information or documents you think will help your case
• your signature

An officer that was not involved in your application before will look at your application again and let you know their decision within 14 days.

Step 3: make an appeal

If your unhappy with our review decision you can appeal. You must:

• appeal in writing to Benefits Team, PO Box 9089, Dumfries DG1 9EB or send us an enquiry 
• clearly state why you are appealing
• include any supporting documents or other evidence

If we do not change our decision, we will pass your appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The tribunal is impartial and independent of Dumfries and Galloway Council. It will listen to both sides before making a decision. We'll let you know if this happens and then you will be contacted by the tribunal.