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Redundancy and debt

Redundancy and paying your rent

If you’re renting your home and think you may struggle to keep up with the payments, you should act quickly to get the help you need and prevent your situation getting worse.

Contact your landlord or housing authority

Getting in touch with your landlord or housing authority can be daunting, but it’s important that you do so as soon as possible. The earlier you contact them, the sooner they’ll be able to help you.

Once they know you've been made redundant, they should talk through the options available to you, so you can come to an agreement you’re comfortable with.

Ignoring the problem could put you at risk of eviction, so contact them as soon as you can to tell them about any changes to your financial situation.

Discretionary housing payments

If you’re receiving certain benefits you may be able to apply to your local council for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) to help pay your rent while you’re out of work.

Each local authority has its own rules, so your council will look at your situation to decide if you’re eligible.

If they agree to give you a DHP, they'll let you know how much you’ll be paid and how long you’ll receive the payments.

Find out more about DHPs.

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Council Tax Reduction

If you’re on a low income due to redundancy, you may be able to get help paying your council tax. This is called Council Tax Reduction (CTR).

The rules around who is eligible for CTR vary depending where you live, as each local authority has its own CTR scheme. You need to contact your local council directly to find out if they can help you.

However, a few general rules apply:


  • You must live in the property
  • You must be the person responsible for paying the council tax

Apply for Council Tax Reduction.

Rent arrears and redundancy

If you’re already in arrears with your rent and have not contacted your local housing authority or landlord, you must contact them as soon as possible to find out what options you have.

You may be able to arrange to repay your arrears over time at an amount you can manage.

Find out more about dealing with rent arrears.

Consider moving to a cheaper property

Facing redundancy is already a stressful experience without moving home too. However, if your income has reduced and you’re struggling to afford your rent payments, moving to a cheaper property could help.

Having more affordable rent payments could help relieve some of your financial stress, make you feel better and help you get your finances back on track sooner.

If you’re worried about not being able to pay your rent, use our online tool for free, impartial debt advice. You can also get housing advice from Shelter.

Money worries?

Find out how we can help you.

Get help now