Gwyneth King considers the role of discretionary housing payments (DHPs) in mitigating some of the effects of cuts contained in welfare reform measures.
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has strongly criticised the government’s decision, announced today, to cut local authorities’ budgets for discretionary housing payments by 24% (from £165m in 2014 -15 to £125m for 2015-16)[fn]Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001 SI No. 11167 p1599[/fn]
Simon Osborne describes a current split in the caselaw on the question of whether someone’s ability to ‘mobilise’ with a manual wheelchair refers only to functional limitations, or to wider personal factors such as the ability to store the chair. The split will hopefully be resolved in a forthcoming decision of a three-judge panel of the Upper Tribunal.
Edward Graham takes a look at discretionary housing payments (DHPs) and considers their scope to help claimants meet their rent in the light of the cuts to housing benefit (HB).
David Simmons summarises the main changes relating to welfare benefits and tax credits announced in the 2010 budget.These are in addition to the changes already announced in the Pre-Budget Report.
New housing benefit (HB) rent restriction rules - the 'local housing allowance' (LHA) rules - are due to be introduced nationwide from 7 April 2008. Far from simplifying the HB rules, a new layer of complexity will be added. An additional difficulty is that, until 6 April 2009, there will be two versions of some of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 and the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations 2006. Carolyn George sets out the detail.
