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Exempt accommodation

Jenna Corderoy made this Freedom of Information request to Vale of White Horse District Council as part of a batch sent to 38 authorities This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

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Jenna Corderoy
Delivered

Dear Vale of White Horse District 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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FOI Vale, Vale of White Horse District Council

Dear Jenna Corderoy

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request, which was received by Vale of White Horse District Council on 10 February 2022.

Please accept this email as confirmation that your request has been received and is being considered by the relevant department and that a response will be sent to you within 20 working days, subject to the information not being exempt and subject to any need for clarification.

The deadline for this will be 10 March 2022

The reference number for this request is Vale 21/656

I trust that this email is sufficient to assure you that your request is being dealt with. However, should you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI team at [Vale of White Horse District Council request email]

Kind regards

Information Governance Team

Legal & Democratic Services
Vale of White Horse District Council
www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk

To find out more about how the council holds, uses and stores your personal data, please click on the link below
Vale of White Horse District Council

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Johnson, Vicky,

Dear Jenna

 

Thank you for your Freedom of Information requests, which were received by
both South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District
Council, logged under FOI 21/707 South and 21/656 Vale. Please note that
the two councils operate as a shared service hence this joint response.

 

Under Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 2000 Act) you
are entitled to be informed in writing whether the council holds the
information specified in your request and, if that is the case, to have
that information communicated to you unless any of the statutory
exemptions apply. I have considered your request and can confirm we do
hold the information asked and I do not believe any of the statutory
exemptions apply to your request.

 

Please find below the information you requested.

 

 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.

 

South

2018 2019 2020
44.85 4,322.41 1,558.13
 

     

Vale

2018 2019 2020
0.00 20,704.52 43,655.68

 

 

 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.

 

South

2018 2019 2020
Oxfordshire Mind 0.00 0.00 547.28
A2Dominion 36.39 545.81 456.42
Bromford Group 0.00 3,776.60 554.43
South Oxfordshire Housing Association 8.46 0.00 0.00

 

Vale

 

2018 2019 2020
Vale of White Horse District Council 0.00 4,295.13 4,385.70
Chrysalis Housing 0.00 16,048.85 25,725.10
Response Organisation 0.00 0.00 1,949.94
Vale Housing Association Ltd 0.00 360.54 0.00
Auckland Home Solutions 0.00 0.00 11,594.94

 

Please treat this as the councils’ formal response under the 2000 Act.  If
you are not satisfied with the decision I have made in response to your
request, you can make a request for an internal review by emailing
[1][email address] and [2][Vale of White Horse District Council request email]  within 40 working
days from the date we issued our response. If you remain dissatisfied
after following that procedure, you have the right under Section 50 of the
2000 Act to complain to the Information Commissioner if you feel the
council has not dealt with your request properly. You can contact the
Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
(telephone number: 01625 545745). You can also find further information at
[3]www.ico.org.uk.

 

Kind Regards

 

Vicky Johnson
Revenues & Benefits Client Officer

 

Finance

Vale of White Horse District Council &
South Oxfordshire District Council

Direct Line: 01235 422481 (Abingdon - VWHDC) Text phone users add 18001
before you dial

[mobile number]

Email : [4][email address]

      
Visit us at:

[5]www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk

[6]www.southoxon.gov.uk

 

To find out more about how the council holds, uses and stores your
personal data, please click on the appropriate council’s link:   

 

[7]South Oxfordshire District Council

[8]Vale of White Horse District Council

 

 

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Vale of White Horse District Council request email]
3. http://www.ico.org.uk/
4. mailto:[email address]
5. http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/
6. http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/
7. https://www.southoxon.gov.uk/south-oxfor...
8. http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/about-us/...

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