This information leaflet has been designed to help you open a Basic Bank Account so that your Housing Benefit can be paid into it. Basic bank accounts are designed to be easy to open and easy to manage.
Why open an Account?
- From the 7th April 2008 payments of Housing Benefit will in the majority of cases be made to the tenant where any new or change of address claim is made for Housing Benefit from this date. Payments will either go straight into the bank account or be made by cheque.
- You can pay your landlord by direct debit or standing order
- In most cases you can pay bills such as gas or electricity by direct debit
- You can cash personal cheques instead of having to pay commission at money lenders
- You can budget your weekly income and outgoings
- A cash card will be issued so that you can access your cash
Basic Bank Accounts do not offer the following facilities
- Overdraft
- Cheque Book
- Credit Card
- Debit Card
How to open an account
This leaflet shows the names of the Basic Bank accounts that are available from Banks and Building Societies in East Staffordshire and the identification that is required to open them.
The list is not exhaustive and you may wish to choose to open a Basic Bank Account from another institution not detailed in this leaflet.
Please be advised that this leaflet has been published as a guide only and that the information supplied may be subject to change