Official Statistics

Use of Discretionary Housing Payments: April to September 2025

Analysis of local authorities' use of Discretionary Housing Payments (England and Wales) from April to September 2025, based on local authority mid-year returns.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 18 December 2025

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Use of Discretionary Housing Payments: analysis of mid-year returns from Local Authorities, data for April 2025 to September 2025

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Data table: Use of Discretionary Housing Payments: analysis of mid-year returns from local authorities, data for April to September 2025

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Background information and methodology: use of Discretionary Housing Payments statistics

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Details

This publication provides analysis of the use of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs). 

DHPs are monetary awards that can be made by local authorities to people experiencing financial difficulty with housing costs who qualify for Housing Benefit or the housing costs element of Universal Credit. 

This statistical release presents analysis of information submitted to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by local authorities, covering the first half of the financial year ending March 2026. Local authorities provide details of their use of DHP funds to DWP for these statistics twice a year. These are published for the first 6 months of the financial year and for the whole of the financial year. 

DHPs and Scotland 

DHPs for Scotland were devolved from 1 April 2017, under the Scotland Act 2016 implementing the Smith Commission Agreement.

Published 18 December 2025