Decision details

Matter for Decision

Since April 2013 City Council tenants of working age have experienced a reduction in Housing Benefit if they are deemed to have a spare bedroom. Originally nearly 600 households were identified as falling into this category. This has now reduced to less than 500 due to re assessment and exemptions. Rent arrears for all current tenants at the end of August 2013 amount to just over £750,000 compared with £800,000 twelve months ago.

 

The rent arrears due to the Housing Benefit Social Size Criteria since April 2013 amount to £29,271 after five months.

 

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) have been applied for by 158 tenants and 27 of those have been refused or had their bedroom requirements revised so that DHP was no longer needed. DHP may be refused if the tenant has too much capital or sufficient income. Reasons to award DHP may be where the property has disabled adaptations or the tenant is actively bidding to move on Homelink or seeking employment

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

 

i.             Acknowledged the impact of the Welfare Reforms and the support given to tenants affected by the changes.

 

ii.             Instructed Officers to continue to assist tenants in rent arrears and only seek eviction through the Court as a last resort.

 

iii.             Instructed Officers to introduce a Local Lettings Policy in April 2014 to give priority to tenants wanting to downsize as a result of the Housing Benefit Social Size Criteria

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Area Housing Manager.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

 

(i)           Thanks should be passed to those staff who had worked hard to cushion these changes.

(ii)         Expressed concern regarding the impact of changes to benefit payments that may affect tenants and the impact that this would have on rent payment.

(iii)        Asked if figures could be produced to show the result on rent arrears when the changes to the universal credit system came into force.

(iv)       Questioned how many of those tenants in arrears were disabled as this was not stated in the report.

(v)         Queried how those tenants affected by the ‘spare room subsidy’ or more commonly known as the ‘bedroom tax’ would be identified and how they would be treated.

 

The Committee:

 

Councillor Blencowe proposed that the recommendation 2.2 of the Officer’s report became 2.2 A:

 

·          To instruct Officers to continue to assist tenants in rent arrears and only seek eviction through the Court as a last resort.

 

Resolved unanimously to agree to the numbering change.

 

Councillor Blencowe then proposed that paragraph 3.5 of the Officer’s report became an additional recommendation 2.2 B (replacement underlined and original struck through):

 

·               Eviction will not be progressed for a tenant in rent arrears, which solely relate to the under occupation reduction in Housing Benefit, when all any of the following criteria are met:

- Where the tenant has applied for rehousing and is making active reasonable bids.

-                 Where the tenant has applied for DHP.

- Where other tenancy conditions (such as ASB) have not been seriously breached.

 

Resolved unanimously to agree to this additional recommendation.

 

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the amendment and additional recommendation.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.