Friday, 18 May 2012

Shared Accommodation Rate - Exemptions

*Local Authority and Housing Association tenants—Social sector tenants normally have their rent met in full (less deductions for non-dependants and earnings) as rents are generally below market rates.
*Tenants in certain supported accommodation—Tenants who are in accommodation where the landlord is a county council, voluntary organisation or charity and provides care, support or supervision. These cases are assessed under pre 1996 rules which recognise that their housing costs may be more expensive.
*Claimants entitled to the severe disability premium—customers in receipt of middle or higher rate care component of disability living allowance provided no one gets a carer's allowance for them.
*Claimants under the age of 22 who were formerly in social services care—Allows care leavers some leeway to become settled and establish links whereby they could share accommodation with others.

The Government has added two further exemptions for those aged over 25:
*A small group of ex-offenders subject to active multi-agency management under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Offenders subject to MAPPA are in the main 25 years or over. This is considered appropriate in order to safeguard the public rather than relying on discretionary housing payments.
*People who have spent three months or more in a homeless hostel specialising in rehabilitating and resettling this group within the community. The three month qualifying condition is designed to target people receiving sustained rehabilitation rather than those who have sporadic, short term stays. Targeted at people aged 25 years and over as there is increasing prevalence among this age group of rough sleeping.

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