Get help if you are struggling to pay your council home rent

Get help creating a budget on the Citizens Advice website. This can help you understand your income and spending, and identify where you could reduce costs.

Manage your money

You may be able to spread payments to make them easier to manage, for example:

• rent: speak to us to change your rent payment to fortnightly or monthly (you must pay in advance)
• gas and electricity: consider using a prepayment meter or paying weekly or monthly
• mobile phone: consider switching to pay as you go.
• TV Licence: you can use a TV Licensing payment card to pay weekly or monthly

If you receive:

• Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) 
• employment support allowance or pension credit. 

You can ask the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for a weekly deduction to be made from your benefit. This is to pay towards rent, Council Tax and water charge arrears.

Borrowing money or buying on credit

If you are considering borrowing money, or buying on credit make sure you:

• can afford any repayments, now and in the future
• do so through a reputable company or credit union, do not use illegal money lenders
• read and understand all the small print
• have enough money left to pay your priority bills such as your rent

If you have creditors

Creditors, such as banks and loan companies may:

• try to persuade people to keep up their payments when they can no longer afford to do so
• threaten bailiffs and court action

You can persuade them to accept a lower figure. If you cannot and they take you to court, you should:

• get help from a debt advice agency
• fill in the court forms, giving details of your financial situation, especially your income and essential expenses
• offer a monthly repayment that you're sure you can afford to keep up after you've paid your essential expenses, such as your rent