FOI request (FOIR-389905227)

Temporary accommodation

Requested Tue 04 January 2022
Responded Tue 01 February 2022

1. Does the Council use the power under s206(2) Housing Act 1996 to charge homeless people for temporary accommodation?

2. Does the Council hold any policies or internal guidance documents relating to charges for temporary accommodation, including on what constitutes a 'reasonable' charge in relation to s206(2) Housing Act 1996. If so, what is the content of the policies of guidance?

3. If the Council has charged homeless people for temporary accommodation, please provide information on the following for the past calendar year:

a. The number of people charged.

b. The total income received by the Council from any charges.

c. How many people paid such charges directly to the Council, rather than via charges taken directly from Universal Credit or other social security entitlements.

4. What, if any, is the total outstanding debt owed to the Council for temporary accommodation charges currently owed?

Response

1. Yes

2. Yes, see the document at:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/housing/pdfs/Housing_Allocation_policy.pdf

3a. NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information requested in respect of the number of people charge would require us to manually check 2000+ records and would far exceed the time limit set out by the Information Commissioner. Therefore under S12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000 provides an exemption from the obligation to comply with a request for information if the estimated costs of complying with that request would exceed the prescribed appropriate limit.

We estimate that the costs of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit by a significant amount.

For this reason we feel unable to comply with this request.

3b. £1,615,713.95

3c. NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information requested in respect of the number of people charge would require us to manually check 2000+ records and would far exceed the time limit set out by the Information Commissioner. Therefore under S12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000 provides an exemption from the obligation to comply with a request for information if the estimated costs of complying with that request would exceed the prescribed appropriate limit.

We estimate that the costs of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit by a significant amount.

For this reason we feel unable to comply with this request.

4. The council does not actively chase debt.