Your account needs to be in credit all of the time, whatever payment method you use. If you get Housing Benefit (HB) or Universal Credit (UC) this will cover some or all of your rent and may leave a shortfall to pay yourself. If you are not paying enough to cover this shortfall, any credit you have will reduce, and arrears will build up. Even if you receive HB or UC, you need to make sure your account is always in credit, so you may also need to make extra payments.

If you have variable wages or other changes in circumstances that mean your HB or UC fluctuates, please bear in mind that you’ll need to change the amount you pay to make sure your rent is still covered.

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