Guidance

Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2017

Adjudication circulars provide updates to the Housing Benefit guidance manual for local authority staff.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
3 February 2017
Last updated
18 May 2018 鈥� See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Ref: A10/2017

PDF, 253 KB, 25 pages

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Ref: A9/2017

PDF, 304 KB, 5 pages

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Ref: A8/2017

PDF, 119 KB, 4 pages

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Ref: A7/2017

PDF, 253 KB, 13 pages

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Ref: A6/2017

PDF, 145 KB, 5 pages

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Ref: A5/2017

PDF, 234 KB, 11 pages

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Ref: A4/2017

PDF, 125 KB, 5 pages

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Ref: A3/2017

PDF, 267 KB, 18 pages

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Ref: A2/2017

PDF, 107 KB, 4 pages

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Ref: A1/2017

PDF, 140 KB, 5 pages

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Details

Adjudication circulars provide advice, guidance and information on Housing Benefit to local authority staff. They update the Housing Benefit guidance manual.

The circulars make many 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鈥� own council tax support and reduction schemes, removing DWP鈥檚 involvement.

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

For enquiries about the distribution of circulars, email: [email protected].

Updates to this page

Published 3 February 2017
Last updated 18 May 2018 show all updates

  1. Revised HB Circular A10/2017. On pages 9 and 12, the rates for non-dependant deductions, a reference to the rate for a non-dependant aged under 25 who is entitled to an award of UC calculated on the basis that the non-dependant has no earned income has been omitted. The rate for any non-dependants in this group is nil.

  2. Amended HB circular A10/2017. On page 15 - JSA rates for a couple both 18 or over stays at 拢114.85, after April 2018. On page 25 - Child Tax Credit for disabled child element increased from 拢3,175 to 拢3,275 鈥� an increase of 拢100 (not 拢40). The severely disabled child element increased from 拢1,290 to 拢1,330 - an increase of 拢40 (not 拢15).

  3. Amended HB circular A10/2017. The April 2018 higher rate of permitted earnings on page 12 is 拢125.50 not 拢125.00.

  4. Amended HB circular A10/2017. The 2018 higher rate of permitted earnings on pages 10 and 12 is 拢125.50 not 拢120.00.

  5. Published Housing Benefit circular A10/2017: Housing Benefit: Uprating 2018-19.

  6. Added HB Circular A9/2017: The Social Security (Infected Blood and Thalidomide) Regulations 2017, The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (Consequential Amendment) Order 2017 and additional earnings disregard amendment.

  7. Added revised HB circular A7/2017. Amended guidance under headings: Optional RTI referrals鈥� (paras 23 to 35), and 鈥楶erformance Monitoring鈥� (para 45). Added a new section 鈥極ptional RTI referrals 鈥� subsidy arrangements鈥�, more Frequently Asked Questions and clarified our advice at Q7 and removed the original Q10.

  8. Added HB circular A8/2017: The Social Security (Emergency Funds) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.

  9. Added HB circular A5/2017:The Social Security (Restrictions on Amounts for Children and Qualifying Young Persons) Amendment Regulations 2017.

  10. Added Housing Benefit (HB) circular A7/2017: Right Benefit Initiative 2017/18.

  11. Added revised HB circular A3/2017. We've revised the guidance regarding 鈥榗ouple unable to share a bedroom' at paragraphs 16 to 18 and corresponding leaflets. Also, provided clarity to the description of the regulations in annex 1 and also 2 of the examples in annex 6.

  12. Added Housing Benefit (HB) circular A6/2015: The Pensions Act 2014 (Consequential, Supplementary and Incidental Amendments) Order 2017. HB Circular A5/2017 will be published in April.

  13. Added HB circular A4/2017: The ESA and UC (Misc Amendments and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Regs 2017 and The ESA and UC (Exempt Work and Hardship Amounts)(Amendment) Regs 2017.

  14. Added HB circular A2/2017: Housing Benefit operational information, performance support and engagement 2017/18 and HB circular A3/2017: The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Size Criteria) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2017 in relation to the Supreme Court decision of 9 November 2016.

  15. First published.

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