Exempt accommodation
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am interested in understanding more about how your local authority manages its provision of “Exempt Accommodation”.
Exempt Accommodation in these questions is defined in legislation, namely accommodation which provides Housing Benefit claimants with exemption from the main HB rent restriction schemes that have been introduced from January 1996 ie:
• the local reference rent rules; and
• the local housing allowance rules.
1) Please complete the following questions below about the cost of exempt provision in your local authority in 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
A) How much did you spend on the provision of “exempt accommodation”?
B) How many HB claims did you receive under the exempt rules?
2) Please complete the following questions below about the providers of exempt accommodation in your local authority for each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
a) Total number of providers who received exempt HB funding
Of which were:
• Registered Providers (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing).
• Registered Charities (Organisations registered with Charity Commission but not with Regulator for Social Housing)
• Community Interest Companies (registered as a CIC on the Companies House register, but not registered with the Regulator of Social Housing or the Charity Commission).
• Local Authority (including those where the Authority is also registered with the Regulator of Social Housing).
• Other
a) Total number of units provided that received exempt HB funding for each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21, of which were provided by:
• Registered Providers (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing).
• Registered Charities (Organisations registered with Charity Commission but not with Regulator for Social Housing)
• Community Interest Companies (registered as a CIC on the Companies House register, but not registered with the Regulator of Social Housing or the Charity Commission).
• Local Authority (including those where the Authority is also registered with the Regulator of Social Housing).
• Other
3) Please can you provide links to or copies of any policy/procedure or guide for the following:
• Strategic document setting out the Authority’s position on exempt HB housing
• Registration of provider/property for exempt HB claims
• Periodic revalidation of provider/property for exempt HB claims
• initial assessment of claims made by claimants for HB under the exempt rules.
• Validation of exempt HB claims in payment
• Ending an exempt HB claims by the Authority due to a concern.
If you have exempt HB accommodation but are unable to provide specific formal documentation please could you set out briefly how you administer each of these scenarios.
4) Please provide information as to the cost to the Authority for each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.
o Overall spend on Administration of Exempt HB
o Of which was administering exempt HB Claims
o Of which was administering provider or property
o Of which was enforcement activity associated with exempt HB
5) Thinking about complaints or action taken on complaints:
• How many complaints did you receive regarding properties registered for exempt provision in each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21?
• How many properties have you removed from your register in each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21?
6) What was the housing solution for Homeless people who presented to the Authority (or its referral agencies) in each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21?
• Number housed in exempt accommodation
• Number housed in Temporary Social Housing
• Number Housed in specialist commissioned services
• Number housed in social housing
• Number housed in PRS
• Number housed in other
7) What is the primary need for Homeless People housed in exempt Accommodation in each of the following years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21?
• Ex-offender
• Substance misuse
• Care Leaver
• Young Person
• Mental Health
• Domestic Violence
• Refugee Status
Yours faithfully,
Victoria McDermott
Dear Victoria,
Thank you for your request for information regarding ‘Exempt accommodation’ (reference number 07470). Your request was received on the 21/06/21 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and/or Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, I will let you know. A fees notice will be issued to you, and you will be required to pay before we will proceed to deal with your request.
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If you have any queries about this request, please contact Information Governance on 01254 585852. Alternatively, our email address is [Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council request email]
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Kind Regards,
Fatima Makken
Apprentice Information Governance Officer
Email: [email address]
01254 585852
Dear Victoria,
Thank you for your request for information regarding ‘Exempt accommodation’ (reference number 07470); please see our response attached/below. If you have any queries regarding your request for information then please don’t hesitate to contact us.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request for information and wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, you should write to: Information Governance Manager, Information Governance, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, G Floor, Town Hall, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 7DY or email [Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council request email]
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Please find attached our 'have your say' feedback policy.
Kind Regards,
Heather Wolstenholme
Information Governance Officer
Email: [email address]
01254 222527
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