Issue - meetings

To consider revisions to the Council’s policy on Discretionary Housing Payments.

RESOLVED:

(a)         That the Discretionary Housing Payments policy, as attached as Appendix 1 to Report Item 5 to the Cabinet, be approved and adopted;

(b)     That the Service Manager Revenues and Benefits, Benefits Manager and Senior Benefits Officer be given delegated authority to make decisions under the above policy; and

(c)     That an annual report be submitted to the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Panel on funding allocations, policy delivery and appeals.

The Cabinet considered changes to the Discretionary Housing Payments Policy to reflect the introduction of Universal Credit.  The Discretionary Housing Payments Scheme was locally administered and was designed to help claimants on low incomes who had a shortfall between the amount of support they received through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit and their actual rent, with that shortfall causing hardship.  Government funding for the scheme had been reduced from £324,613 in 2017/18 to £278,541 in 2018/19.  In 2017/18 all the funding had been used, through 765 awards.

RESOLVED:

(a)         That the Discretionary Housing Payments policy, as attached as Appendix 1 to Report Item 5 to the Cabinet, be approved and adopted;

(b)     That the Service Manager Revenues and Benefits, Benefits Manager and Senior Benefits Officer be given delegated authority to make decisions under the above policy; and

(c)     That an annual report be submitted to the appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Panel on funding allocations, policy delivery and appeals.