Client does not pay emergency housing contribution on time

There may be situations when the client has not paid their emergency housing contribution by the date or dates determined by MSD.   

In these cases, when deciding if the client has failed to meet their responsibility or not, MSD needs to consider if the client has a good and sufficient reason for not paying their emergency housing contribution.  

MSD will need to find out why a client has not paid their contribution in full by the agreed date or dates before giving the client a warning.

Factors could include (but are not limited to):  

• the amount that is unpaid and if this amount relates to only one emergency housing contribution or more than one (e.g., is there a pattern of non-payment) 
• whether the client has attempted to make payments (e.g., has the client made any part payments towards the emergency housing contribution, or no payments)
• any previous conversations MSD has had with the client about needing to pay the emergency housing contribution 
• any information MSD has given to the client about needing to pay the emergency housing contribution

Examples of the reasons for non-payment include:

• intentional non-payment or 
• their benefit redirection failed due to insufficient income or 
• an unforeseen event that led the client being unable to pay or 
• MSD error when setting up the redirection

Note there may be other good and sufficient reasons a client was not able to pay their emergency housing contribution in time and this should be assessed on a case by case basis.  

For more information see:

• Good and sufficient reason for not meeting responsibilities

MSD may require a client to provide supporting evidence to determine they have a good and sufficient reason for not meeting the emergency housing responsibilities.

If supporting evidence is required and the client refuses to provide it, MSD may determine whether or not the client has a good and sufficient reason on the information available.

If MSD determines there is no good and sufficient reason, the client will receive a warning.

The client must meet the emergency housing responsibilities during their stay in emergency housing. This includes completing any agreed activities set for an Emergency Housing Grant, by the date determined by MSD.

If the client does not have a good and sufficient reason for not paying the emergency housing contribution by the date determined by MSD, this will result in a warning.