When the council offers you temporary accommodation, they must take into account what you can afford to pay for it. You should be told in advance what the costs will be.

The charge must be reasonable

When deciding what to charge you, the council must take into account your earnings and what you need to spend on other essentials. They will often do this by completing an income and expenditure form with you.

They will ask to see:

• bank statements

• any savings you have

• your payslips if you’re in work

• proof of income if you’re self employed

• proof of any regular bills you pay

• receipts for things you usually pay for in cash

• your living costs, including money you need for work, travel, clothing and food

You can use the free budget planner on the MoneyHelper website to show your own income and expenditure report to the council.

The charge could be higher if you’re working and your income is over the limit for applying for Housing Benefit. You could challenge the cost if it’s unaffordable.

You should only be charged accommodation costs. Get advice if the council is charging you extra for things like repairs, maintenance and support services. These kinds of charges could be unlawful.

Getting benefits to pay for temporary accommodation

If you have no income or a low income the council must help you apply for Housing Benefit to help cover the cost of temporary accommodation.

If you’re already getting Universal Credit you could still apply for Housing Benefit to cover the cost of temporary accommodation.

If you cannot afford the charge

First, try to negotiate a lower charge. Accept the offer of accommodation, and then ask the council to reconsider the amount they're charging you.

Ask the council for an itemised breakdown of the charge to make sure they're only charging you accommodation costs.

Give them information about your income and expenses to show how much you can pay.

Get any agreements in writing so there are no misunderstandings.

Get advice if the charge is still unaffordable

In some cases, you could get legal advice to challenge the cost in court.

Contact a Shelter Scotland adviser to help you work out your options. They can check if you have a strong case for legal action.

You usually need to take legal action within 3 months of when the charge was set by the council. It can be more difficult to challenge the cost if you’ve been making regular payments.