Council Tax & Housing Benefit
Discretionary Housing Payments
Policy
1. Background
The Government introduced ‘Discretionary Housing Payments' in
July 2001. These enabled local authorities to provide additional
financial assistance to claimants with their housing costs.
The legislation that governs these payments is:
- The Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000
- The Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001
Discretionary housing payments are not awards of Housing Benefit
or Council Tax Benefit but they can only be awarded if the claimant
receives either or both of these benefits.
2. Strategy
The Department of Social Security's guidance states that there
are no prescribed tests of exception in the award of a
discretionary housing payment (DHP). The only direct guidance
issued about granting a payment is that local authorities need to
be satisfied that a claimant is in need of further financial
assistance with their housing costs.
3. DHP Policy Aims
To ensure that discretionary housing payments contribute to the
Council's aims and objectives for the District's development and
promote social inclusion for all Dover District Council residents
while not subsidising poor accommodation.
To facilitate a DHP awarding body, providing a holistic approach
to addressing financial difficulties by utilising a broad range of
expertise within the Council and the wider community.
4. Policy Objectives
The Council has adopted the following policy objectives for the
award of discretionary housing payments. These are linked to the
Council's corporate aims and objectives
- To encourage social inclusion by ensuring that disadvantaged
claimants are able to afford to live in communities that provide
support to enable the claimant to contribute to the District.
- To ensure that claimants receive support to move into
longer-term housing of a good standard of repair. This will include
property supported by the Rent Deposit Scheme
- To ensure the maximum available transitional support for
housing costs when claimants, or their non-dependants, obtain
employment.
- To generally encourage benefit claimants to take up employment
where possible and retain homes of a good standard.
- To provide support to encourage occupation of registered houses
of multiple occupation.
- To ensure that no claimant suffers any undue disadvantage
resulting from circumstances over which they have no control.
- To address the problem of debt through advice, guidance and
support as part of an agreed debt reduction plan.
- To maximise income using the expertise of the Council's welfare
take-up officer.
5. Decision Making
- Based on a customer's holistic requirements the board will then
consider the award of a DHP based on the Council's corporate
objectives. All decisions will be made within 28 days of the
original application.
- The amount of award and the period of payment will be
determined by a majority within the board, but based on the
expectation that the customer will pursue the options for long-term
assistance that have been suggested.
- The awards will be the responsibility of, and administered by,
the QA Team and the QA officer will have a casting vote within the
board if necessary.. The team will monitor the budget to ensure the
funds are fully utilised during the financial year.
- The income and expenditure used
- The maximum award that could be made
- The award that has been made, and the period from and to
- Appeal opportunities, including a requirement for the customer
to make it clear the actual amount and period they want for the
award.
- The reasons why the award is, or isn't, made
6. Appeals
All decisions about discretionary housing payments can be open
to review, but there is no statutory appeals process.
If a customer disagrees with a DHP decision there will be a two-
stage review.
Stage 1 - The case will be reviewed by the
Benefits Manager, who will be able to uphold or amend.
Stage 2 - If the Benefits Manager upholds the
original decision, the case will be passed to the Head of Revenues
and Benefits and Portfolio holder for final consideration. (Any
decisions that require additional budget will be confirmed only
with the agreement of the Corporate Resources Portfolio Holder and
Council's Financial Officer).
Stage 3 - Customers will be able to use the
Council's Corporate Complaints System if they disagree with the
process and ultimately they could request a Judicial Review of any
decision made.
Publicity
The Council will publicise the existence of the Discretionary
Housing Payment Scheme through posters, general information
leaflets and paragraphs included within letters telling claimants
about their standard benefit awards.
Comprehensive details of the scheme will be provided to Advice
Agencies and training offered to support this.
Publicity will include information about the existence of the
scheme and the outline criteria that the Council will consider when
considering claims. This will promote the overall aim of linking
the scheme to the Council's vision.
Contact
Tel: 01304 872199
Email: revenues@dover.gov.uk
