Exempt accommodation
Dear Maidstone Borough Council,
This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
This request concerns “exempt accommodation”. The UK Parliament defines this as: “Supported housing which is exempt from certain Housing Benefit provisions. It is a sector which houses more marginalised groups with support needs, such as recent prison leavers; care leavers; those fleeing domestic violence; and homeless people with substance dependence or mental health issues.”
I understand that housing benefit for people in “exempt accommodation” is paid by the council directly to landlords.
I would like to request the following information:
(1) Please state how much housing benefit has been paid by the council directly to landlords to provide “exempt accommodation” for those in receipt of the benefits. Please provide the figures for each of the past three financial years (2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21), as well as any available data for 2021/22.
(2) Please provide a list of the 20 landlords that have received the highest amount in housing benefit from the council for providing “exempt accommodation” for those in receipt of the benefits. Again, please provide this information for each of the past three financial years (2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21) as well as any available data for 2021/22. For each year, please (a) provide the landlord’s full name or company name, (b) state the total amount they received from the council in each year.
I would like to highlight how the Information Commissioner’s Office has previously ruled that this type of information should be disclosed. For example, in 2015, the ICO held that Torbay Council was not entitled to withhold the names of landlords who have directly received the largest amounts of housing benefit. In 2014, the ICO also ruled that Halton Borough Council was wrong to withhold similar information.
I would like to receive the data in an Excel format. If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a reasonable timeframe, I would be grateful if you could contact me and provide assistance as to how I can refine the request. If you need any clarification, please contact me.
I look forward to receiving a response in 20 working days. Many thanks.
Yours faithfully,
Jenna Corderoy
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Regards
Information Governance Team
Corporate Insight, Communities and Governance
Maidstone Borough Council, King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ
w [1]www.maidstone.gov.uk
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Dear Ms Corderoy,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
Ref: FOI 6444
Thank you for your request for information. We will have a response ready for you within 20 working days of the date you made your request.
After considering your request, we may decide to refuse to supply the information under a number of exemptions that exist in legislation. For details of these exemptions, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/gui...
If you have any queries about this email, please contact us. Please remember to quote the reference above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely,
Information Governance Team
Corporate Insight, Communities and Governance
Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ
w www.maidstone.gov.uk
Date: 11/03/2022
Ref: FOI/6444
Dear Ms Corderoy,
I am writing to update you on your FOI regarding "exempt accommodation".
Unfortunately, due to the increased pressures the Council is currently facing, Mid Kent Revenues & Benefits Manager is not yet in a position to provide you with their written response.
We estimate that you will receive a written response by Friday 18 March, but I will keep you updated on the situation as it progresses.
Yours sincerely,
Information Governance Team
Corporate Insight, Communities and Governance
Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ
w www.maidstone.gov.uk
Date: 15/03/2022
Ref: FOI/6444
Dear Jenna Corderoy
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, I can confirm
that the Council does hold the information you have requested.
A copy of the information is attached.
I am very sorry for the delay in our response.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference above in any future communications.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to request a review of our decision, please respond to
this email and we will pass it on to Mid Kent Legal Services to conduct a
review. Please ensure you outline your reasons for requesting a review.
If you are not content with the outcome of your request, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
Information Commissioner 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.
Yours sincerely,
Information Governance Team
Corporate Insight, Communities and Governance
Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent
ME15 6JQ
w [1]www.maidstone.gov.uk
To access our digital services please visit
https://maidstone.gov.uk/service Sign up to receive your Council Tax bill
by email https//maidstone.gov.uk/emailbilling We understand the importance
of ensuring that personal data, including sensitive personal data is
always treated lawfully and appropriately and that the rights of
individuals are upheld. We are required to collect, use and hold personal
data about individuals. Data is required for the purposes of carrying out
our statutory obligations, delivering services and meeting the needs of
individuals that we deal with. This includes current, past and prospective
employees, service users, members of the public, Members of the Council,
our business partners and other local authorities or public bodies. To
view our full statement to see how your data will be stored and processed
please visit https://maidstone.gov.uk/dataprotection This email is
confidential. If you receive it by mistake, please advise the sender by
email immediately. Any unauthorised use of the message or attachments is
prohibited. Unless stated otherwise, any opinions are personal and cannot
be attributed to Maidstone Borough Council. Unless a purchase order is
attached this email is not a contract or an order. It is your
responsibility to carry out Virus checks before opening any attachments.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/
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