Issue - meetings

Discretionary Housing Payment Policy 2025-26

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Meeting: 03/12/2024 - Cabinet (Item 78)

78 Discretionary Housing Payment Policy 2025/26 pdf icon PDF 163 KB

To provide an update with regards to Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) expenditure and to approve the policy for the administration of Discretionary Housing Payments for 2025/26.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Purpose of the report

 

This report provided an update on Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) expenditure.

 

Decision

 

That Cabinet approves the policy for Discretionary Housing Payments for 2025/26.

 

Alternative options considered and rejected

 

To not approve the Policy or continue the Discretionary Funding. This option was rejected.

 

Reasons for the decision

 

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provided extra funding to Local Authorities (LA) to provide claimants in receipt of Housing Benefit (HB) or Universal Credit (UC) further financial assistance with their housing costs in cases where there was a shortfall between the HB entitlement and the rent payable. South Kesteven received £155,861 of funding for 2024/2025, the same allocation as the previous financial year. 362 applications had been received in 2024/2025; 38.67% of these applications had resulted in a payment being awarded.

 

No changes were agreed to the current Policy, but this would be kept under review.