Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is normally awarded from the Monday after the day you made your claim. Sometimes we can pay benefit from an earlier date if you have a good reason for not claiming sooner.

When can you claim backdated benefit?

You can claim for backdated benefit if:

• You have already completed the Housing and Council Tax benefit claim form; but
• Feel you should have had benefit for a period before you made your claim.

If you are aged under 60 or you are a man aged between 60 to 64 who is in receipt of Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income based Employment and Support Allowance:

The law says that we can backdate your benefit up to 6 months from the date we receive your request, if you can give a good reason why you did not apply sooner.

If you are aged over 60 and you are not receiving Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income based Employment and Support Allowance:

The law says we can backdate your benefit up to 3 months from the date we receive your request

What is a 'good reason'?

There is no definitive description of good cause but some examples are:

• The death of a close relative;
• Being in hospital or seriously ill;
• Being wrongly advised by a person who should have known better, such as council staff, the Citizens Advice Bureau, a social worker, DWP staff;
• Language difficulties;
• Being unable to manage your affairs and not having anyone to help you.

Please provide as much information as you can to help us make our decision.

The good reason must apply over the full period for which you want your award backdated.

What happens after a claim has been made?

After we have received your claim form we will reply as soon as possible. If we refuse your claim for backdating, we will send you details of how to appeal.

How to make a backdated benefit claim

Fill in the form below, completing all the questions, and send it to:

Oxford City Council Benefits
P.O. Box 10
Oxford OX1 1BR

Benefits - Backdated Housing Benefit Claim Form (56kB PDF)