The first right of appropriation allows you to tell your bank or building society how to use money paid into your account.
What you can do
You can ask your bank to:
- use your Housing Benefit payment to pay your rent
- use other payments to cover specific bills or expenses
To do this, you must contact your bank directly.
Important things to consider
When you make a first right of appropriation request, your bank may:
- freeze your account
- remove your overdraft facility
Make sure you can manage either or both of these situations before making a request.
If you don’t give your bank instructions at the time of payment, they may decide how to use the money.
Stopping payments
If there are payments you no longer want to make or cannot afford, you must give your bank separate cancellation instructions.
The first right of appropriation does not stop your bank from making other payments. If you don’t cancel them, your bank may return them as unpaid and you could be charged.
Note: You cannot cancel payments made to repay a loan with the same bank.
If you're worried about debt or money, Citizens Advice has lots of helpful information and support to guide you through your options.