FOI request (FOI204749)

Discretionary Housing Payments

Requested Tue 17 January 2017
Responded Tue 17 January 2017

1. What is the total discretionary housing payment budget available to the council for 2014/2015 financial year [include, and specify, any additional funds granted]?

2. What is the total discretionary housing payment budget available to the council for 2015/2016 financial year [include, and specify, any additional funds granted]?

3. What is the total discretionary housing payment budget available to the council for 2016/2017 financial year [include, and specify, any additional funds granted]?

4. Did your council exceed its government Discretionary Housing Payment allocation in the 2015/2016 financial year? If so, by how much?

5. Did your council exceed its government Discretionary Housing Payment allocation in the 2014/2015 financial year? If so, by how much?

6. How many applications for the Discretionary Housing Payment in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 were successful because of the benefit cap?

7. How many households have you predicted will be affected by the new lower benefit cap which started to be rolled out in November 2016 and will finish being implemented in 2017?

Response

1. £327,607
2. £230,368 + £50,000= £280,368
3. £277,703
4. NO
5. NO
6. 2014/15: 87 awards 2015/16: 134 awards
7. 175

Re. no. 6 - I have stated awards …..this is what the report provides. This means that there will be duplication where people have made more than one application ie 87 awards will not mean that we have helped 87 people.