Evictions and Out-of-Area Rehousing of Council Tenants affected by Welfare Reform
Dear Crawley Borough Council,
I am seeking information about the potential impact of central government welfare reform policies on eviction rates and geographical displacement of households with council housing tenancies. My information request relates to three welfare reform policies:
- Under-Occupancy (also known as Removal of Spare Room Subsidy / Bedroom Tax)
- The Benefit Cap
- Universal Credit roll-out
I understand that under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 there is a duty to assist and advise the requester. I would appreciate your advice if you think my request needs any clarification in order to get the information that I am looking for, or if it would exceed the cost limit in its present form.
1. Please provide an annual breakdown since April 2010 of the total number of unique council tenancies - including the total number of people recorded as living in them - that have been evicted due to the non-payment of rent arrears.
2. For each year of this annual breakdown since April 2013, please disclose how many of these evicted households - including the total number of people recorded as living in them - had at some point been affected by:
a. Under-occupancy
b. Under-occupancy and the Benefit Cap
c. Under-occupancy and the Benefit Cap and Universal Credit roll-out
3. How many of the evicted households affected by a, b, or c - including the total number of people recorded as living in them - went on to make a successful homelessness application to the local authority?
4. Of these successful homeless applications, please disclose how many households - including the total number of people recorded as living in them - were placed in temporary accommodation in a different local authority area and disclose the destination local authority area in each case
Yours faithfully,
Charlotte Connor
Dear Madam,
Thank you for your request for information which is being considered under
the Freedom of Information Act.
You should receive the information requested within 20 working days unless
the Council does not hold the information or if there is a reason for it
to be withheld.
Please remember to quote the above FOI reference number in any future
communications.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information
FOI: 5579
Dear Madam,
Please see below for Crawley Borough Council’s response.
Regards,
Gillian Edwards
Audit and Risk Manager
01293 438384
FOI request No: 5579
Dear Crawley Borough Council,
I am seeking information about the potential impact of central government
welfare reform policies on eviction rates and geographical displacement of
households with council housing tenancies. My information request relates
to three welfare reform policies:
- Under-Occupancy (also known as Removal of Spare Room Subsidy / Bedroom
Tax)
- The Benefit Cap
- Universal Credit roll-out
I understand that under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
there is a duty to assist and advise the requester. I would appreciate
your advice if you think my request needs any clarification in order to
get the information that I am looking for, or if it would exceed the cost
limit in its present form.
1. Please provide an annual breakdown since April 2010 of the total
number of unique council tenancies - including the total number of people
recorded as living in them - that have been evicted due to the non-payment
of rent arrears.
Crawley Borough Council Response
2010 11 evictions 15 persons recorded as living there at time of
eviction
2011 7 evictions 21 persons…..
2012 17 evictions 45 persons…..
2013 25 evictions 70 persons…..
2014 19 evictions 38 persons…..
2015 13 evictions 28 persons…..
2016 6 evictions 10 persons…..
2017 15 evictions 20 persons…..
2. For each year of this annual breakdown since April 2013, please
disclose how many of these evicted households - including the total number
of people recorded as living in them - had at some point been affected by:
a. Under-occupancy
Crawley Borough Council Response
13/14 – 6
14/15 – 5
15/16 – 2
16/17 – 2
b. Under-occupancy and the Benefit Cap
Crawley Borough Council Response
Nil
c. Under-occupancy and the Benefit Cap and Universal Credit roll-out
Crawley Borough Council Response
Nil
3. How many of the evicted households affected by a, b, or c -
including the total number of people recorded as living in them - went on
to make a successful homelessness application to the local authority?
Crawley Borough Council Response
None
4. Of these successful homeless applications, please disclose how many
households - including the total number of people recorded as living in
them - were placed in temporary accommodation in a different local
authority area and disclose the destination local authority area in each
case
Crawley Borough Council Response
N/A
Yours faithfully,
Charlotte Connor
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