1. Housing Benefit update DEC 2015 Bev Connor

2. Changes to Housing Benefit The Government announced some changes to Housing Benefit in the summer and autumn budget statements this year. These will apply from various dates but there are some major changes that will apply from April 2016

3. LHA Rates from April 2016 From April 2016 the LHA Rates will either: -Stay the same as the 2015 LHA Rates; or -Reduce if the 30 th percentile for that LHA rate is lower than the 2015 LHA Rate This will apply for 4 years from April 2016

4. Changes to HB from May 2016 Backdating of Housing Benefit claims will reduce from a maximum of 6 months to one month from May 2016 The Family Premium which is included in the assessment of HB where there is one or more children in the household will be abolished for new claims from May 2016. The result may be less HB awarded

5. Changes to HB (con’t) From April 2016 HB will cease where claimant leaves UK for more than 4 weeks (currently 13 weeks) Consideration is being given to administration of HB for pensioner claims in the longer term but no decisions have been made so far Social sector rents to be limited to Local Housing Allowance rates from April 2018 for tenancies signed after April 2016

6. Council Tax Support No changes to the scheme from April 2016 The Government has announced that a review of how the Local Council Tax Support Schemes are working nationally will be undertaken. One consideration will be whether this should be paid as part of Universal Credit payments.

7. Universal Credit & HB There are public access pc’s available in the Gateway Centres, Broughton Hub and the libraries We have staff at the Gateway Centres who can assist customers to make a claim for Universal Credit CAB deliver personal budgeting support on behalf of the council. The aim is to assist people to manage their finances when they are claiming Universal Credit

8. Future relationship with landlords Where UC is being paid to meet housing costs the council will not pay Housing Benefit Landlords will not be able to contact the council to check if UC is in payment Housing Benefit will continue to be paid in existing cases and for new claims where the person does not meet the UC criteria Housing Benefit will continue to be paid in respect of pensioner claims and for people living in supported accommodation