Agenda item

The Director of Housing submits a report to outline the Council’s Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), Council Tax Discretionary Relief (CTDR) and Community Support Grant (CSG) policies, and to present key amendments intended to further focus intervention funding towards the prevention of homelessness and managing short term financial crises.

The Director of Finance submitted a report to Members of the Housing Scrutiny Commission in order to outline the Council’s Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), Council Tax Discretionary Relief (CTDR) and Community Support Grant (CSG) policies and to present key amendments intended to further focus intervention funding on the prevention of homelessness and managing short term financial crises.

Alison Musgrove, Service Manager Revenues & Customer Service Support, Finance introduced the report and referred to; the reduced benefit cap from January 2017, key priorities for the discretionary policies in 2018/19 and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).

Following questions and comments from the Committee, the following points were made:

·         In response to a point in the report encouraging tenants to downsize, and a query about the availability of properties, it was noted that the majority of tenants needed to downsize to one bedroom properties of which the Council had the most available stock. If tenants did not choose to downsize they would have to pay the extra costs for the rent.

·         Newly under-occupied or Benefit Capped households who claimed a DHP would now receive a 13 week transition award (rather than the previous 26 weeks) to encourage them to engage with the team, seek support and consider other options.

·         All existing claims would finish on 31 March 2018. Tenants would then be required to re-apply; at that point it would be determined whether the tenant would meet the conditions in the policy.

·         It was noted that conditions of the new policy would affect the number of people who would re-apply and figures were requested. The Service Manager Revenues & Customer Service Support, Finance agreed for figures to be provided to the Commission as soon as reasonably possible by the Principal Policy Officer, Finance.

·         The Chair noted concerns regarding; children living in overcrowded accommodation and tenants applying for payday loans.

Following the meeting, the Principal Policy Officer, Finance provided additional information which has been attached at the end of these minutes.

Agreed:

1) To provide Members of the Housing Commission with figures on the impact of these new conditions in regard to the number of people who would apply.

2) That the report be endorsed.