Benefit - Backdating

You may be able to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit for a past period. This is called backdating.

It is possible to backdate claims up to a maximum of 52 weeks from the date of your current claim.

The Start Date of Your Benefit Claim

The claim must be made in writing, either on a application form or by letter.

Normally we will start your claim from the Monday after we receive your application. It is therefore very important you get the application form or letter to us as soon as possible.

If we send you an application form or you collect a form from any of our walk in centres we will allow you 1 month to return it. If you take longer than 1 month you might lose your entitlement to some of your benefit.

To backdate a claim, you need to:

• Show good cause for failing to claim earlier, and
• Show that the good cause existed continuously during this period

There is no official definition of 'good cause', we will look at each request for backdated benefits individually. Any supporting information should be included with your claim.

If you disagree with the date your claim starts from for any other reason you can appeal against the decision.

Contact Details

For more information on backdating benefits, contact Revenues and Benefits on 0121 704 6214 or email benefits@solihull.gov.uk