Paying your rent

How to pay your rent

Please have your 10-digit account number to hand when making a payment. It's printed on all of your rent statements. You can pay your rent using our secure online rent payments system.

Other ways to pay

Set up a direct debit

You can set up regular bank payments by direct debit or standing order. To do this over the phone, please call us on 0800 028 2 028, and have your bank details to hand.

You can also set up your rent payment Direct Debit using our direct debit online form.

Set up a standing order

You can also set up direct debits and standing orders or make one-off payments through your bank’s website or banking app. You just need our details:

Bank: Barclays Bank PLC
Sort code: 20-00-00
Account No: 93380513

Please include your 10-digit rent reference number. Remember, if your rent amount changes it's your responsibility to update your payments with your bank.

In person

Pay by card or cash with a rent payment card at any PayPoint (local stores and garages where you see the PayPoint sign) or Post Office.

• order a rent payment card

Over the phone 

You can pay by debit or credit card over the telephone by calling our 24-hour automated payment service on 020 8690 8707.

You can also pay your rent over the phone with us by calling our freephone number 0800 028 2028.

Check your rent balance

You can view transactions and download a copy of your rent statement on the housing services portal.

You can check your balance by text - just Text BAL or BALANCE followed by a space and your account reference to 07984440585. 

For example, ‘BAL 1234567890’.

Texts will be charged at your standard message rate.

We must have your correct mobile number on our system, or the text service won't work. You can update it on the housing services portal or by phoning us.

Problems paying your rent

Lewisham Council’s Housing Service is keen to support our residents to sustain their tenancies. Contact us straight away if you are struggling to pay your rent. We may be able to come to an arrangement that you can afford.

What can we do to help you pay your rent?

We have a specialist team of welfare benefits advisors who can provide free help and advice with:

• Claiming the right benefits and understanding changes to your benefits
• Managing and prioritising debt
• Budgeting and saving money on your energy bills
• Working out a payment plan that you can stick to
• Putting you in touch with other organisations that can help

Our advisors can provide you with a personal benefit check over the phone, which takes roughly 10 minutes.

Contact the Welfare Benefits team: 0800 028  2028 or by email.

You can also use the Turn2us benefits calculator to see what support you could be entitled to.

If you are in severe financial hardship and need emergency assistance please contact our Welfare Benefits team or click here to find details of a range of support agencies.

If you’re on benefits already and your income has stopped or dropped:

Housing benefit – Residents with an existing housing benefit claim must report their change of circumstances straight away here.

Please note: new claims for housing benefit cannot be made unless you are reaching the age of retirement or you are classified as severely disabled and receiving the higher rate of employment and support allowance.

Please check with the Welfare Benefits team if you are unsure whether or not you should be claiming Housing Benefit. The Welfare Benefits team can guide you to make sure you make the right choice.

Universal Credit – Report changes using your Universal Credit online account or contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.

If you are NOT on benefits already and your income has stopped or dropped:

If you’re struggling financially you may be eligible to apply for these two benefits:

Universal Credit: Click here to start your benefit claim

The government sponsored service MoneyHelper has help and advice available specifically for those needing to claim Universal Credit on its website.

Council Tax: Lewisham Council has a council tax reduction scheme that can be accessed online. This can assist in covering the cost of your council tax bills if your ability to pay is impacted by loss of income or other factors. Visit the page here.

Are you over 60?

Our Welfare Benefits team can help you with:

• Pension checks
• Single person’s council tax
• Warm homes discount
• Cold weather payments
• Thames Water Sure discount
• Attendance allowance
• Winter fuel payments
• Support agencies in the borough

Get in touch on the contact details above to find out how we could help you.

Do you have debts?

If you are worried about debts or have missed payments, you can speak to our Welfare Benefits team for advice. You can also access free and independent debt advice through MoneyHelper.