About the course

This course will concentrate in depth on some of the more difficult areas of Housing Benefit which cause frequent concern in Supported Housing and general rehousing work.  The course is designed for people who are reasonably experienced in dealing with Housing Benefit who wish to update and improve practice on particular concerns.

This course is not suitable for those who have never worked with Housing Benefit

Course Content

• Update on dealing with above average rents, with special attention to the Local Housing Allowance that went national in April 2008.
• Update on recent changes to rights, obligations, claim and payment issues and income maximisation for different types of social housing and households in resettlement work, in negotiation with benefit authorities
• Includes new rules about child maintenance and Housing Benefit and complications in HB with the introduction of the new Employment and Support Allowance
• Problems of Service Delivery including dealing with new claiming arrangements, delays, the Verification Framework, Performance Standards, Service Level Agreements and the ‘Benefits Simplification' programme
• How to avoid, minimize or challenge overpayments
• Evaluation

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course participants will:

• list benefit entitlements, claims and payment issues, and obligations, when undergoing resettlement, including steps to help maximise income
• list key rules and tactics in approaching major problem areas in service delivery
• explain ways to avoid, minimize or challenge overpayments, and address other Housing Benefit problems
• note key debates in Housing Benefit,and announcements on the future of Housing Benefit, with implications for housing projects