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What is HAP?

Ann Casey

Published: Thu 10 Oct 2024, 12:43 PM

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support provided by local authorities.

The council make a monthly rental payment on behalf of the tenant to the landlord, subject to terms and conditions, including rent limits. In return, the HAP tenant pays a weekly contribution towards the rent to the local authority.

To qualify for HAP, a household must be qualified for social housing support by their local authority, which means the household must qualify to go on the local authority housing waiting list. HAP recipients must find their own accommodation in the private rented market and the landlord must agree to rent their property to the HAP recipient. The local authority will make a monthly payment to the landlord on the last Wednesday of each month. This covers the tenant’s stay in the property for that calendar month.

The payment is subject to terms and conditions including rent limits which vary across the country. If the tenant does not pay this rent contribution, HAP payments to their landlord will be suspended and eventually stopped. The tenant is then responsible for paying the full rent themselves.

There are specific sums payable through HAP in rents depending on the size of the family/ applicant and the property to be rented.

If that sum doesn't cover the entire rent, the tenant can make up the difference, as long as it isn't more than 35 per cent of their income. If the additional amount is more than 35 per cent of their income, HAP will not be paid.