Households affected by the household benefit cap

The request was successful.

Dear Boston Borough Council,

I am a researcher at the housing charity Shelter. We are seeking to understand the impact of the household benefit cap on local authorities in England. We would be incredibly grateful for your help.

I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of information Act 2000.

1. Please provide the most recent data available for your local authority:

All households
• The number of households who have their benefits reduced by the Household Benefit Cap introduced by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 in your area. (Please include both households who were already subject to the previous benefit cap of £26,000/£18,200, and those newly affected by the lowered cap).
• The average reduction in these households’ benefit award, and the number of these households who have a reduction of £100 or more a week.

Homeless households in temporary accommodation
• The number of homeless households accommodated by your authority in temporary accommodation who have their benefits reduced by the Household Benefit Cap.
• The average reduction in these households’ benefit award.

2. If you have carried out an assessment of the impact of lowering the cap in your local authority, please provide this document.

Many thanks - I look forward to receiving your reply in the next 20 working days.

Yours faithfully,

Jenny Pennington

FOI, Boston Borough Council

Thank you for your email.  If you are applying for information under The
Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information
Regulations 2004, your request is being processed and a response will be
sent to you within 20 working days from receipt of your request.  However,
if we require further clarification regarding your request we will contact
you as soon as possible. 

 

In the meantime, please accept this as an acknowledgement of your email.

 

Kind regards,

Boston Borough Council

 

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FOI, Boston Borough Council

Good morning

 

Thank you for your information access request received on the 7^th
February 2017 where you asked:

 

1.    Please provide the most recent data available for your local
authority:

 

All households

•     The number of households who have their benefits reduced by the
Household Benefit Cap introduced by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016
in your area. (Please include both households who were already subject to
the previous benefit cap of £26,000/£18,200, and those newly affected by
the lowered cap).

•     The average reduction in these households’ benefit award, and the
number of these households who have a reduction of £100 or more a week.

 

Homeless households in temporary accommodation

•     The number of homeless households accommodated by your authority in
temporary accommodation who have their benefits reduced by the Household
Benefit Cap.

•     The average reduction in these households’ benefit award.

 

2.    If you have carried out an assessment of the impact of lowering the
cap in your local authority, please provide this document.

 

Under Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 we can
confirm that Boston Borough Council does hold the information specified in
your request. The information you have requested is detailed below.

 

•     The number of households who have their benefits reduced by the
Household Benefit Cap introduced by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016
in your area. (Please include both households who were already subject to
the previous benefit cap of £26,000/£18,200, and those newly affected by
the lowered cap).

 

The total cases effected since 2016 is 79

 

•     The average reduction in these households’ benefit award, and the
number of these households who have a reduction of £100 or more a week.

 

Average - £54.70

Total over £100 – 8 cases

 

Homeless households in temporary accommodation

•     The number of homeless households accommodated by your authority in
temporary accommodation who have their benefits reduced by the Household
Benefit Cap.

•     The average reduction in these households’ benefit award.

 

0 – Ben Cap cases

N/a – average

 

2.    If you have carried out an assessment of the impact of lowering the
cap in your local authority, please provide this document.

 

We have not undertake and assessment  of the impact as the numbers
affected compared to caseload are not significantly high and as such most
seem to have accepted the decrease. Some have been supported through an
award of DHP.

 

We trust that the information above completes your request in full,
however if we  can be of any further assistance, please contact us.  If
you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of the Council’s
decision, you should contact Michelle Sacks, Monitoring Officer and
Solicitor to the Council on 01205 314292 or by email at
[1][email address]

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

 

The Information Commissioner's Office,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow,

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

  

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information

Boston Borough Council

 

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This email may contain sensitive or personal data, please think before
including in any forwarded correspondence.
The information within this email is confidential. It is intended solely
for the addressee and access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised.
Such unauthorised use, disclosure, copying, distribution, any action or
inaction in reliance of it is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

If you have received this email in error:

 1. Notify the sender immediately
 2. Do not use or disclose the information in any way
 3. Delete the email from your system

References

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