Council Defends Unspent DHP

A council which refused to provide emergency housing hardship funds to smokers has been slammed for handing back nearly £200,000 in unspent cash to the Treasury. North Lincolnshire Council spent just £41,210 of its £238,069 discretionary housing payment pot in 2012/13 - just 17 per cent - much less proportionally than other low-spending councils. The council declared in January it would deny funds to tenants who made certain ‘life choices’, such as smoking or subscribing to satellite television. Nic Dakin, Labour MP for Scunthorpe, which is in North Lincolnshire’s boundaries, said: ‘Spending that little money is a dereliction of duty. I see people coming in every week who are in real need, but are being turned away by the council. Local housing associations have been tearing their hair out at the council’s position.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of the total discretionary housing budget that was spent during the first six months of 2013-14.

Steve Webb: The Department has collated six-monthly returns detailing DHP awards made by local authorities in Great Britain between the beginning of April to the end of September 2013. The Department has pre-announced that this information will be published on 20 December 2013. This year the Government contribution to discretionary housing payments has been increased to £180 million. As part of this, local authorities are able to bid for funding from a £20 million reserve fund. The scheme is open to bids until 3 February 2014.

Minister Pledges to Review Foster Carer 'Bedroom Tax'

The minister for children and families has pledged to review housing benefit changes that will leave some foster carers out of pocket.  Edward Timpson told delegates at the National Children and Adults Services Conference he is planning to speak to the DWP about the so-called bedroom tax.  The minister said he was aware that the changes could have a negative impact on foster carers, adding that he is working with the charity the Fostering Network to try and achieve exemptions for foster carers using spare rooms for foster children. “We managed to make some progress in the changes that were made to make foster carers one of the groups that would benefit from the housing discretionary budget,” Timpson said. “But there is still some concern that won’t go far enough in every situation.”  Read more on the Children and Young People Now website.

Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State what discussions he has had with housing charities on the proposal to withdraw housing benefit for people under the age of 25.

Steve Webb: While all aspects of welfare expenditure remain under review, there are currently no plans to remove entitlement to housing benefit from people under 25 years of age.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State what assessment he has made of the need for assistance to tenants (a) who are foster carers and (b) with disabilities affected by the reduction in housing benefit as a result of under-occupation; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We have made an additional £30 million available for the discretionary housing payment budget from 2013-14 aimed specifically at two groups: foster carers; and disabled people who live in significantly adapted accommodation. There is a strong argument not to expect someone living in a property which has been specially adapted for their needs, often at quite considerable cost, to move into a different one. We are also keen to protect the position of foster carers so that they are not discouraged from taking up or continuing their caring role. Based on information from a variety of sources we estimate that this additional funding could assist around 40,000 claimants affected by the under occupation measure.

Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial assistance is available other than the discretionary hardship funds, to assist claimants aged under 35 whose housing benefit is restricted to the shared accommodation rate.

Steve Webb: The extension to the age threshold for the shared accommodation rate, from 25 to under 35s has been introduced from January 2012 for new claims. For existing claimants, the change will apply at the end of their transitional protection period or, where no transitional protection is in place, on the anniversary of their claim or on a change of circumstances after that date.  Various groups of tenants in vulnerable situations are exempt from the shared accommodation rate and these will be carried forward to the age increase.  Discretionary housing payments can be paid to those in receipt of housing benefit or council tax benefit, who face a shortfall in meeting their contractual rent and where the local authority considers that further financial assistance with housing costs is required. There is no other financial assistance available from the housing benefit budget for claimants affected.

Benefits Cap Concessions Expected To Win Support for Welfare Reform Bill

The government is expected to make a series of concessions on its controversial £26,000 household benefits cap to win over wavering Liberal Democrat MPs. Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, is expected to agree that a discretionary fund should be established to ease the burden on families who could be made homeless at a sensitive time in their children's education. The move comes as Labour seeks to work with the Lib Dems - whose former leader Lord Ashdown voted to exempt child benefit - on agreeing a local rate for the cap. In a letter to Nick Clegg, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne, says a local cap could ensure that 20,000 people avoid being made homeless by the changes. Read more on the Guardian website.

Housing Benefit Reforms Continue As Extra Funding Is Given To Local Authorities

Restoring fairness to the Housing Benefit system and providing extra support for those who need it is a top priority, Lord Freud said as he announced the first allocation to local authorities of an extra £130 million transitional fund set up to help those affected by the reforms. In consultation with the Local Authorities Association, £30 million has been allocated through the Discretionary Housing Payment Fund with over £8 million going to London, £2.5 million to Scotland, £1.5 million to Wales and £17.5 to the rest of England. The fund, which Ministers have already boosted by £10 million, will give local authorities the flexibility to help the most vulnerable customers who might face a shortfall in rent because of the changes to Housing Benefit rules from April 2011. Read more on the DWP website.

Shapps Under Attack Over Housing Benefit Provision For Elderly

Housing minister Grant Shapps has defended claims by Age UK that the Government's housing benefit reforms could leave some elderly people on such low incomes their health may be at risk. The charity told the BBC that 80,000 pensioners who rent privately face losing an average of around £12 a week in payments. Age UK fears changes to the way maximum payments are calculated will leave some with less money for food and heating. The coalition government wants to introduce caps ranging from £250 a week for those in a one-bedroom property to £400 for those in a four-bedroom property. Mr Shapps told the BBC's Today programme: "If landlords don't drop their rents there is a discretionary housing fund which at the moment is £10m it's very well targeted and is operated by local authorities. It's going up 14 times to £140m - this is a discretionary housing benefit." Read what the NHF has to say about the budget for the Discretionary Housing Fund here and rest more of what Grant Shapps told the BBC on the 24dash website.