Guidance

Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2018

This information was for all local authority Housing Benefit (HB) staff.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

HB Bulletin G8/2018

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HB Bulletin G7/2018

HB Bulletin G6/2018

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HB Bulletin G5/2018

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HB Bulletin: G4/2018

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Summary of discretionary housing payment awards

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HB Bulletin: G3/2018

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HB Bulletin: G2/2018

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HB Bulletin: G1/2018

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Details

The general information bulletins have been replaced with the LA Welfare Direct bulletins.

Housing Benefit (HB) bulletins provided general information, updates and reminders on HB and other areas of the Department for Work and Pensions to local authority staff.

The bulletins may have references to Council Tax Benefit as this was administered by local authorities alongside Housing Benefit until March 2013. In April 2013 Council Tax Benefit was replaced by local authorities’ own council tax support and reduction schemes, removing DWP’s involvement.

Readers will need to consider references to Council Tax Benefit in these documents accordingly.

For enquiries about the distribution of circulars, email: housing.correspondenceandpqs@dwp.gov.uk

Published 23 January 2018
Last updated 17 August 2018 + show all updates
  1. Published HB Bulletin G8/2018. This edition includes: new publication for communicating with LAs, Discretionary Housing Payments mid-year monitoring returns 2018-19 from English and Welsh LAs, HB Decisions by the Upper Tribunal and new legislation.

  2. Published HB Bulletin G7/2018. This edition includes: a request for IT department contact details to help with the introduction of Customer Information System Interest Automation; guidance on how to make sure local authorities receive notifications to stop Housing Benefit when a claimant moves to Universal Credit; a list of recent Upper Tribunal decisions on Housing Benefit cases and cases waiting a decision; new legislation and recent changes to Housing Benefit guidance on GOV.UK.

  3. Added Housing Benefit G6/2018 - Customer Information System Interest Automation, Pension Strategy Computer System uprating, further reminder: Housing Benefit Debt Recovery data returns, Decisions by the Upper Tribunal and new legislation.

  4. Added Housing Benefit G5/2018 - including LA insight survey, amendments to adjudication circulars, HB decisions by Upper Tribunal and new legislation.

  5. Added HB bulletin G4/2018 and summary of discretionary housing payment awards spreadsheet.

  6. Republished bulletin G3/2018 with corrected information about Scottish rates of income tax.

  7. We have temporarily withdrawn bulletin G3/2018 while we check the accuracy of the Scottish rate of income tax article. We plan to republish as soon as possible.

  8. Added Bulletin G3/2018 with information about the Court of Appeal benefit cap judgement; local authority insight survey; how local authorities should contact DWP; the Scottish rate of income tax; HM Courts and Tribunal Service in Scotland; a list of local authority investigation single points of contact.

  9. Added HB bulletin G2/2018.

  10. First published.