Issue - meetings

To consider the contents of a new Discretionary Housing Payment Policy.

Approved the Discretionary Housing Payment Policy for implementation with effect from 1^st April 2013. 

By way of a report by the Head of Customer Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet was invited to consider the content of an updated Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) Policy.  The Policy had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

Having been advised that the Policy had been updated to take into account recent welfare reforms and an increase in the level of grant awarded to each local authority by the Department for Work and Pensions, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the Discretionary Housing Benefit Policy, as appended to the report now submitted, be approved and implemented with effect from 1st April 2013.

To consider and comment on the contents of a new local Discretionary Housing Payment Policy.

(Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel Social Well-Being) have been invited to attend for the discussion on this Item).

With the assistance of a report by the Customer Services Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel considered a proposal to introduce a new Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) Policy. The Head of Customer Services explained that a Discretionary Housing Payment Policy had been in place since 2001. However, in light of the recent welfare reforms and the increased level of grant awarded to each local authority by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Officers had taken the opportunity to review the Council’s policy to ensure that it adhered to best practice and that the budget was spent on helping the most vulnerable eligible individuals.

In considering the contents of the report, a question was raised regarding those who ‘under occupied’ their homes and who were willing to move house but were unable to do so because of a shortage of smaller properties. Members were informed that the Council had been working with Registered Social Landlords; however, with the exception of encouraging property exchanges, there was little that it could do. Clarification was also provided on the position of foster children. They were not currently counted as part of a household for benefit purposes.

Having noted that the Council had been allocated £169,561 for discretionary housing payments in 2013.14, Members were informed that it was possible to pay out up to 2.5 times more than this amount, though the Council would need to meet the additional cost. Comment was made that although the annual funding from the DWP had increased year on year since 2010/11, the Council’s proportion of the total national DHP budget had reduced. In response, the Head of Customer Services agreed to circulate further details of the allocation of funds directly to Members.

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended to adopt the Discretionary Housing Benefit Policy with effect from April 2013.