Latest Benefit News

Introduction

On this page you can find details of any recent or upcoming changes to the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit schemes. 

Further information on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is available, please see the left hand column. 

31 May 2011 Bogus Telephone Calls

A Doncaster resident has received a telephone 'cold call' offering a 'Council Tax Rebate' and asking for her bank details, so the money could be paid to her. 

Fortunately she realised this sounded strange and did not give them any details. We were then contacted and confirmed it was not a call from Doncaster Council and she had done exactly the right thing in not giving information to them.

This bogus cold calling has been operating around the country, using various tactics to try and get people's bank details, which they use to take money out of accounts.  They may call themselves the 'Great Britain Council Tax Office' or 'Goverment Treasury Office' or 'your local council' and then say you are entitled to a Council Tax rebate or refund. If you ask for a contact number they will give one such as 02070431901, which then goes to an answer phone message.

If you get such a telephone call, please do not give them any personal information and end the call straight away.

If you are in doubt about the identity of any telephone caller, do not give them any information but ask them for: their name, the office or switchboard number and their extension number. Then telephone the office to check the call is genuine. Doncaster Council staff, or those from any Government department, will always be happy for you to check their identity by calling them back.

Changes from January 2012

Housing Benefit Shared Accommodation Rate Changes

From 1 January 2012, the Government is changing the rules that apply to most single people living in self-contained accommodation who are aged 25 or more, but under 35. The new rules mean that these people will only be entitled to the lower rate of Housing Benefit for a room in shared accommodation – known as the Shared Accommodation Rate.

The new rules will apply straight away for people who make a new claim for Housing Benefit or change address on or after 1 January 2012. 

For people already receiving Housing Benefit on 1 January 2012, the new rules will apply from when their Housing Benefit is next reassessed after this date. This will usually be on their Local Housing Allowance Anniversary date.

If someone is receiving transitional protection from the Local Housing Allowance changes introduced in April 2011, the new rules will apply when their transitional protection ends.

Based on the Local Housing Allowance Rates for August 2011 (when this information was published) the change means that, instead of the rate for one bedroom self-contained accommodation of £75, these people will only be entitled to the Shared Accommodation Rate of £53. Please remember that the Local Housing Allowance Rates can vary from month to month and may be different to the amounts given when the new rules are introduced in January 2012.

 The new rules will not apply to the following groups of people:

• Local Authority and Registered Housing Association tenants

•  People in certain supported accommodation

• People who are entitled to the severe disability premium in their Housing Benefit assessment 

• People who have a non-dependent living with them 

• People under the age of 22 who were formerly in social services care 

• People who are entitled to an extra bedroom to allow for a non-resident carer to sleep over where overnight care is required 

• Ex-offenders who are subject to active multi-agency management under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) 

• People who have spent three months or more in a homeless hostel, or more than one hostel, specialising in rehabilitating and resettling this group within the community.

Please contact us if you want any more information about these exemptions.

There is more information about the changes and about the current shared accommodation rates in different parts of the country at the Direct Gov website – www.direct.gov.uk (under local housing allowance).

Changes from April 2012

Housing Benefit Local Housing Allowance Rates Change

From 1 April 2012, the Government is 'freezing' Local Housing Allowance rates for one year. They intend to annually uprate Local Housing Allowance rates from April 2013, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

This means that the rates set in April 2012 will apply to any new claim made or change of address between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013. 

For people already receiving Housing Benefit on 1 April 2012, the new rates will apply from when their claim is next reassessed after this date. This will usually be on their Local Housing Allowance Anniversay date.   

Changes from April 2013

Restrictions based on household size for social tenants, for example, people living in Council houses

Housing Benefit will be restricted for some people who are living in a property that is larger than they need based on the size of their household. This will apply to working-age customers renting from a social landlord. The Government has yet to make a final decision on how this restriction will be applied.

If you think you will be affected by this change: you can get more information at Doncaster Home Choice

There is more information about all these changes at www.direct.gov.uk