diff --git a/app/models/validations/financial_validations.rb b/app/models/validations/financial_validations.rb
index 45befd9ad..5b46e1b4c 100644
--- a/app/models/validations/financial_validations.rb
+++ b/app/models/validations/financial_validations.rb
@@ -51,25 +51,25 @@ module Validations::FinancialValidations
   end
 
   def validate_tshortfall(record)
-    return unless record.startdate
-
-    cannot_have_outstanding_amount = if record.collection_start_year <= 2021
-                                       record.has_hbrentshortfall? &&
-                                         (record.benefits_unknown? ||
-                                           record.receives_no_benefits? ||
-                                           record.receives_universal_credit_but_no_housing_benefit?)
-                                     else
-                                       record.has_hbrentshortfall? &&
-                                         (record.benefits_unknown? ||
-                                           record.receives_no_benefits? ||
-                                           record.tenant_refuses_to_say_benefits?)
-                                     end
-
-    if cannot_have_outstanding_amount
+    if record.has_hbrentshortfall? && no_known_benefits?(record)
       record.errors.add :tshortfall, I18n.t("validations.financial.hbrentshortfall.outstanding_no_benefits")
     end
   end
 
+  def no_known_benefits?(record)
+    return true unless record.collection_start_year
+
+    if record.collection_start_year <= 2021
+      record.benefits_unknown? ||
+        record.receives_no_benefits? ||
+        record.receives_universal_credit_but_no_housing_benefit?
+    else
+      record.benefits_unknown? ||
+        record.receives_no_benefits? ||
+        record.tenant_refuses_to_say_benefits?
+    end
+  end
+
   def validate_rent_amount(record)
     if record.brent.present? && record.tshortfall.present? && record.brent < record.tshortfall * 2
       record.errors.add :brent, I18n.t("validations.financial.rent.less_than_double_shortfall", tshortfall: record.tshortfall * 2)