About the Course

This course is for all those working in the field who wish to approach Housing Benefit as a relative beginner, or as an update and refresher.  The course is grounded in frequent changes in recent years and ahead, and in trying to reconcile the dilemmas faced by individual tenants and housing providers.

Course outline

• How to deal best with Housing Benefit, rehousing, restllement and the many personal circumstances of people living in rented housing.
• Working out all the benefits, service charges, dates of entitlement, payment issues, landlord obligations, income maximisation, appeals, negotiating with Housing Benefit authorities, and tactics for different types of social housing and households.
• Maximising payments for overlapping housing costs, temporary absences, etc, including the problems for particular groups, such as women leaving situations of domestic violence, or ex-offenders
• Understanding rent restrictions in the private sector and the pilot Standard Local Housing Allowances and roll-out plans.
• We will address the equal opportunities implications for different groups.
• Evaluation

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course participants will:

• Be confident in dealing with benefit guides and the law, guidance papers and other reference material
• Be aware of Housing Benefit issues surrounding different types of social housing
• Be prepared to argue your clients case with the authorities, based on the law
• Have used the material in case studies to arrive at a satisfactory outcome