Figures for number of disabled moved out of borough

The request was partially successful.

Dear Sutton Borough Council,

I would like to know the number of adults and children with disabilities - whether physical disabilities, severe learning difficulties or anything else that is defined as a disability - who have been moved out of borough to cheaper accommodation, whether that be temporary or permanent.

I would like to know the figures for children and adults in aggregate and also separately.

Please could you provide this information for the ten full years from and including 2005 to 2014.

Yours faithfully,

Brendan Scott

Freedom Of Information, Sutton Borough Council

Dear Brendan Scott

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST - REF NO – F7881
(please quote in correspondence)

 

I acknowledge your request for information received on 21^st May 2015
relating to number of disabled adults and children moved out of borough

 

Your request is being considered and, if it is held, you will receive the
information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as
defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information
not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

 

If appropriate, the information may be provided in paper copy, normal font
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information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the
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Please be advised that in line with London Borough of Sutton’s commitment
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response may be published on our website.

 

Yours sincerely

 

FOI Admin Officer

London Borough of Sutton

 

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Fran Massiah, Sutton Borough Council

Dear Brendan Scott

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST - REF NO – F7881

I refer to your request for information received on 21^st May 2015
concerning the number of disabled adults and children moved out of borough
to cheaper accommodation.

 

The Council’s Children’s Service does not keep a record of this
information.  The Adult Social Care Service would only move individuals
out of borough where needs were best met by an out of borough provision,
not solely on the basis of price, therefore the answer is zero. The
Council’s Housing Centre has also confirmed that zero adults or children
with disabilities have been moved out of borough to cheaper accommodation.

If you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been handled you
have the right to ask for an internal review.  Please notify us in writing
as soon as possible with the grounds upon which you feel the appeal is
justified to : [1][Sutton Borough Council request email]  or by post to Corporate Customer Care
Team, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1EA.

We aim to respond to you within 20 working days of receiving your request.
If it is going to take longer we will let you know.

 

Should you still be dissatisfied with the outcome you have the right to
refer to the Information Commissioner: Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF [2]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely

--

Fran Massiah

Housing Strategy Officer

Environment, Housing and Regeneration

London Borough of Sutton

Civic Offices

St Nicholas Way, SUTTON, SM1 1EA.

 

Tel: 020 8770 5657

Web site: [3]www.sutton.gov.uk

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References

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1. mailto:[Sutton Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/
3. http://www.sutton.gov.uk/

Dear Fran Massiah,

Many thanks for your response.

Is there ever a situation where a disabled person who claims housing benefit can no longer afford their rent due to rising costs and cuts to housing benefit, and therefore has to be relocated to new accommodation ?

I know that this is prevalent among non-disabled housing benefit claimants. I'm interested to know if this also happens among disabled housing benefit claimants.

Yours sincerely,

Brendan Scott

Fran Massiah, Sutton Borough Council

Dear Brendan
I will look into this and get back to you.
Regards
Fran

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Rachael Mounsey, Sutton Borough Council

Dear Mr Scott

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST - REF NO – F7881

 

I refer to your request for information received on 21st May 2015
concerning disabled adults and children moved out of borough.

 

Housing do not place any households, with or without disabilities, out of
the borough to cheaper accommodation on a temporary or permanent basis.  

Children's Services for disabled children have advised that they do not
keep a record of this.

Adults Services only place households out of the borough where needs are
best met by out of borough provision, and not based on cost.  

I hope this answers your information request. 

If you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been handled you
have the right to ask for an internal review.

Please notify us in writing as soon as possible with the grounds upon
which you feel the appeal is justified to : [1][Sutton Borough Council request email]  or by
post to Customer Care and Improvement Team, Civic Offices, St Nicholas
Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1EA.

We aim to respond to you within 20 working days of receiving your request.
If it is going to take longer we will let you know.

 

Should you still be dissatisfied with the outcome you have the right to
refer to the Information Commissioner: Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF [2]www.ico.org.uk

Your sincerely

Rachael Mounsey
Property Management, Temporary Accommodation & Finance Team Manager
Housing Centre
London Borough of Sutton
St Nicholas Way
Sutton
Surrey SM1 1EA
Tel: 020 8770 5793
e-mail: [3][email address]
This email and the information it contains are confidential and intended
solely for the exclusive use of the individual to whom it is addressed. If
you are not the intended recipient, this email should not be copied,
forwarded, or printed for any purpose, or the contents disclosed to any
other person. If you have received this email in error, please notify the
London Borough of Sutton immediately on +44 (020) 8770 5000 or email
[email address] and then delete the email.

Although the London Borough of Sutton operates anti-virus programmes, it
does not accept any responsibility for any damage whatsoever that is
caused by viruses being passed.
 
This message has been scanned for malware.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Sutton Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/
3. mailto:[email address]

Rachael Mounsey, Sutton Borough Council

Dear Mr Scott,
I was not aware that this request had already been responded to.
Please disregard and use the former response. Apologies for any confusion.
Many thanks and kind regards
Rachael
Rachael Mounsey
Property Management, Temporary Accommodation & Finance Team Manager
Housing Centre
London Borough of Sutton
St Nicholas Way
Sutton
Surrey SM1 1EA
Tel: 020 8770 5793
e-mail: [1][email address]

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Fran Massiah, Sutton Borough Council

Dear Brendan

Below is your supplementary question and the Council's response..

Supplementary question:

 

Is there ever a situation where a disabled person who claims housing
benefit can no longer afford their rent due to rising costs and cuts to
housing benefit, and therefore has to be relocated to new accommodation?

I know that this is prevalent among non-disabled housing benefit
claimants. I'm interested to know if this also happens among disabled
housing benefit claimants.

 

Our response:

Housing colleagues have not come across such a case.  The only situation
where rent may not be paid by Housing Benefit is where someone is subject
to an under occupation deduction but often, depending on the disability,
they may be assessed as needing an extra bedroom.   

 

If such a circumstance did arise for someone in either Adult Social Care
or Children's Services the Council could, as part of an assessment, choose
to use our discretionary Section 19 powers under the Care Act (ability to
support even though the individual did not meet national eligibility
criteria).  However, we would first look to identify more cost effective
housing options as part of this before considering funding any rental
costs to maintain someone's current accommodation situation.  There would
have to be extraordinary circumstances around the care and support of the
individual to warrant such a decision and the Council would only act with
clear support from Legal Services in terms of the potential precedent that
paying for accommodation and utilising Section 19 powers would set."

I hope this addresses your query.

Kind regards

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