Important information regarding the payment of Benefit.

As part of Hertsmere Borough Councils ongoing strategy to reduce benefit fraud and in order to achieve efficiency savings, we are no longer making payment of Housing Benefit by cheque.

This means that all payment of Housing Benefit will be made by bank transfer directly into a claimant's (or, where appropriate, a landlord's) bank account. Payment via this method will mean you will have access to your money quicker and it removes the possibility of cheques being lost or stolen prior to receipt, or being fraudulently cashed by a third party.

If you make an application for benefit you will need to provide us with details of a bank account which you would like payments to be made into. Unfortunately, we cannot currently make payments into a Post Office account. If you do not have a suitable bank or building society account you will need to make arrangements to open one. Most banks now offer 'basic bank accounts' that are available to anyone, regardless of their financial circumstances.