Collection

Housing Benefit for local authorities: bulletins

Housing Benefit (HB) bulletins provide advice, guidance and information on HB to local authority staff.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 24 September 2013
• Last updated: 19 January 2024 — See all updates

Urgent bulletins contain urgent advice and information for immediate action by local authorities.

LA Welfare Direct bulletins provide advice, guidance and information that affects Housing Benefit and other areas of DWP. They have replaced HB general information bulletins.

We also publish:

• Housing Benefit adjudication (A) circulars that update the HB guidance manual
• Housing Benefit subsidy (S) circulars that give information about the money the government pays local authorities to administer HB and other financial matters

Urgent bulletins

• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2020
  • 10 January 2020
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2019
  • 23 August 2019
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2018
  • 4 May 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2017
  • 10 January 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2016
  • 10 January 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2015
  • 10 January 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2014
  • 10 January 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2013
  • 9 January 2018
  • Guidance

LA Welfare Direct bulletins

• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2024
  • 9 December 2024
  • Guidance
• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2023
  • 12 December 2023
  • Guidance
• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2022
  • 12 December 2022
  • Guidance
• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2021
  • 20 December 2021
  • Guidance
• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2020
  • 11 December 2020
  • Guidance
• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2019
  • 4 March 2024
  • Guidance
• LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2018
  • 3 December 2018
  • Guidance

Universal Credit bulletins

• Universal Credit local authority bulletins 2018
  • 30 November 2018
  • Guidance
• Universal Credit local authority bulletins 2017
  • 9 February 2018
  • Guidance

General information bulletins

The general information bulletins have been replaced with the LA Welfare Direct bulletins.

• Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2018
  • 17 August 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2017
  • 5 December 2017
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2016
  • 20 November 2017
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2015
  • 20 November 2017
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2014
  • 8 January 2018
  • Guidance
• Housing Benefit general information bulletins 2013
  • 8 January 2018
  • Guidance

Published 24 September 2013
Last updated 19 January 2024 + show all updates

1. 19 January 2024

   Added LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2024 to the collection.

2. 13 January 2023

   Link to LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2023 page added.

3. 7 February 2022

   Added LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2022 to the collection.

4. 7 January 2021

   Added LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2021 to the collection.

5. 17 January 2020

   Added link to LA Welfare Direct bulletins: 2020.

6. 6 February 2019

   Added link to LA Welfare Direct Bulletins for 2019.

7. 4 September 2018

   The general information bulletins have been replaced with LA Welfare Direct bulletins.

8. 4 May 2018

   Added 'Housing Benefit urgent bulletins 2018' to the collection.

9. 20 April 2018

   Added Universal Credit local authority bulletins 2018.

10. 23 January 2018

    Added HB Bulletin G1/2018.

11. 14 December 2017

    Added bulletin U4/2017.

12. 8 December 2017

    Added new series for Universal Credit local authority bulletins.

13. 17 July 2017

    Added HB Bulletin G7/2017.

14. 23 June 2017

    Added HB Bulletin U3/2017: Discretionary Housing Payments to former residents of Grenfell Tower for assistance associated with a housing need.

15. 22 June 2017

    Added urgent bulletin U2/2017: Judicial Review about the inclusion of lone parents with children aged under 2 in the benefit cap.

16. 19 June 2017

    Added G6/2017.

17. 17 May 2017

    Added HB Bulletin G5/2017.

18. 2 May 2017

    Added HB Bulletin U1/2017: Upper Tribunal decision concerning spare room subsidy.

19. 20 March 2017

    Added HB Bulletin: G3/2017

20. 17 February 2017

    Added HB Bulletin G2/2017.

21. 17 January 2017

    Added HB Bulletin G1/2017.

22. 22 December 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G12/2016.

23. 17 November 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G11/2016.

24. 9 November 2016

    Added HB Bulletin U3/2016: Supreme Court judgment: MA & Others, A and Rutherford.

25. 17 October 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G10/2016.

26. 22 September 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G9/2016.

27. 18 August 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G8/2016 and Discretionary Housing Payment: summary of awards return sheet.

28. 25 July 2016

    Added HB Bulletin U2/2016: Payment Deduction Project.

29. 15 July 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G7/2016.

30. 17 June 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G6/2016.

31. 19 May 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G5/2016.

32. 12 April 2016

    Added HB Bulletin U1/2016: Court of Appeal judicial review decision concerning the maximum rent (social sector).

33. 18 March 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G3/2016.

34. 19 February 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G2/2016.

35. 18 January 2016

    Added HB Bulletin G1/2016.

36. 17 December 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G12/2015.

37. 26 November 2015

    Added HB Bulletin U2/2015: Judicial review of R v Secretary of State of the inclusion of Carer’s Allowance in the benefit cap.

38. 18 November 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G11/2015.

39. 22 October 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G10/2015.

40. 1 October 2015

    Added HB Bulletin U1/2015: Clarification on the impact of sanctions on Housing Benefit.

41. 18 September 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G9/2015.

42. 17 August 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G8/2015.

43. 22 July 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G7/2015 and appendix A.

44. 17 June 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G6/2015.

45. 19 January 2015

    Added HB Bulletin G1/2015.

46. 19 December 2014

    Published HB Bulletin G12/2014.

47. 15 December 2014

    Added U6/2014: First-tier Tribunal cases on the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy.

48. 19 November 2014

    Published HB Bulletin G11/2014.

49. 29 September 2014

    Published HB Bulletin U4/2014: Removal of the spare room subsidy – Upper Tribunal decisions.

50. 22 September 2014

    Published HB Bulletin G9/2014.

51. 15 August 2014

    Added HB Bulletin G8/2014.

52. 22 July 2014

    Published HB Bulletin G7/2014.

53. 17 June 2014

    Added HB Bulletin G6/2014.

54. 23 May 2014

    Added HB Bulletin G5/2014.

55. 17 April 2014

    Published HB Bulletin G4/2014.

56. 27 March 2014

    HB Bulletin U3/2014 - New Migrant Access to Benefit Measures – First tier Tribunal Decisions published

57. 18 March 2014

    HB Bulletin G3/2014 published

58. 7 March 2014

    HB Bulletin U2/2014: Court of Appeal Judgement: MA and Others published

59. 18 February 2014

    Housing Benefit bulletin G2/2014 added to page

60. 22 January 2014

    Housing Benefit bulletin G1/2014 published

61. 9 January 2014

    HB Bulletin U1/2014: Removal of the spare room subsidy published

62. 17 December 2013

    HB Bulletin G12/2013 published

63. 19 November 2013

    HB bulletin G11/2013 published

64. 5 November 2013

    New Bulletin U8/2013: Judicial review on the benefit cap has been added to the list of documents.

65. 31 October 2013

    New bulletin U7/2013 added to the document list.

66. 22 October 2013

    Housing Benefit bulletin G10 added.

67. 24 September 2013

    First published.