HOUSING benefits have seemingly become a postcode lottery across the country, as where you live can determine how long it takes to get them after applying.
Fresh housing benefit statistics were released by the Department for Work and Pensions between January 2024 and March 2024.
The income-related benefits are designed to assist applicants to meet housing costs for rented accommodation in the Cumberland Council area - with a total of 221 being processed this year.
Applicants can expect to wait 25 days for their cases to be processed in the Cumberland Council area, which includes Carlisle, Workington, Millom, Cockermouth and Whitehaven.
Cumberland is ranked 285th out of 365 local authorities in the UK in terms of average speed of processing in days.
The fastest is Rushmoor at a four day average wait time, followed closely by Ribble Valley at five days, and North Norfolk and North Somerset at six.
The graphic below demonstrates the average waiting times (in days) across the UK.
The longest is in Lewes, at a shocking 69 days.
Also at the bottom of the list are Eastbourne and West Northamptonshire at 56 and 48 respectively.
A council spokesperson said: "We look to process new claims and any changes to circumstances as quickly as possible and we are currently seeing average processing times that are around the national average.
“However, we are looking at ways to reduce this through the better use of technology and reviewing our processes.
“Applicants can also help us by ensuring that all the relevant information is provided when a claim is made, using the checklist provided, as delays can be caused when items are missing.
“We also encourage applicants to speak to a member of our customer service team when making a claim as they can always help answer any queries and take people through the application process.
“We liaise with an applicants' landlord where we pay them directly to inform them that the application is in process.
“This is to help ensure that they don't get threatened with eviction.
“There are other ways that people can get financial and other help, such as through our council tax reduction scheme.
“More information can be found on our website or by speaking to our customer service team."
Have you been affected by a long wait for housing benefit to be processed? Tell us your story
We want to hear how you've been impacted by waiting for housing benefit to come through. For some places it's just a few days' wait, for others it's more than two months.
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