Agenda item

(a)  That the policy for Discretionary Housing Payments, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be approved.

(b)  That a progress report be received by the Cabinet in six months to set out the level of demand for assistance and consider the impact of welfare reforms.

The Cabinet were asked to approve the revised policy in relation to Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) for 2016-17 as attached at Appendix A to the report.

The payments were awarded to provide further financial assistance, outside of Housing Benefit and Universal Credit regulations, to help people meet their housing costs.  Demand was increasing as a result of benefit reforms.  Payments made in line with the policy were funded from the government grant allocation, which had risen £151k for 2016/17 to £581k.  It was intended that spend would remain in line with this grant allocation to avoid further pressure on the Council’s General Fund budget.  The proposed changes to the policy for 2016-17 were summarised as in paragraph 5.10 of the report.

Members asked a number of questions about the number of recipients locally and discussed the impacts of the government’s welfare reforms, particularly in the context of rising rents and property values.  It was recognised that as a one off payment, DHP could only provide short term assistance and recipients whose circumstances further deteriorated would likely increase demand pressures on other services for vulnerable people.  The widening of Universal Credit and changes to the benefit cap were also likely to increase demand for hardship support.  It was therefore agreed that the policy be approved and that the Cabinet receive an update report in six months that included detail on the profile of recipients and emerging trends arising from housing pressures and benefit reform.

Resolved –

(a)  That the policy for Discretionary Housing Payments, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be approved.

(b)  That a progress report be received by the Cabinet in six months to set out the level of demand for assistance and consider the impact of welfare reforms.