Housing Systems: Combating poverty and sustaining tenancies.
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Housing Costs: Problem areas
Key Problem Areas include:

  • The claimant only getting 50% of the rent covered by the Housing Costs Element because the claimant has an 'absent joint tenant' (sometimes called an 'untidy tenancy').

  • A Housing Costs Contribution (ie. a non-dependant deduction) being taken in error where the claimant or their partner is getting PIP/ADP daily living or DLA mid or high rate care.

  • No Housing Costs Element being included at all in the UC assessment.

  • The DWP refusing to include a Housing Costs Element as they say the claimant is living in supported housing, and meanwhile the HB Office refusing to pay HB as they say the claimant is not living in 'specified accommodation'.

  • A new baby not being allocated a bedroom (wrongly) because the claimant hasn't been awarded Child Benefit yet.

  • The DWP not covering eligible service charges, or not covering service charges that would be eligible under Housing Benefit (because the rules are different)..

  • Some social housing tenants who are entitled to an extra bedroom under the special rules have instead been totally excluded from the Bedroom Tax due to a computer glitch leading to overpayments.

Please click on the links below for more information.

50% Housing Costs

When the claimant has an 'untidy tenancy'

Non-Dep Deductions

What are the problems?

Supported Housing

Why are claimants in Supported Housing struggling to get help with their rent?

New Baby

Why are claimants with new babies not getting the help they are entitled to?

Service Charges

What could go wrong?

Extra bedroom

Claimants may be missing out on an extra bedroom entitlement.

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