Guidance

Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2016

Adjudication circulars provide updates to the Housing Benefit guidance manual for local authority staff.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 18 January 2016
• Last updated: 14 December 2018 — See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

A12/2016: Housing Benefit Uprating 2017/18

Ref: A12/2016

PDF, 314 KB, 24 pages

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A11/2016: Payment Deduction Project interface, local authority user guidance

Ref: A11/2016

PDF, 346 KB, 11 pages

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A10/2016: Administration of the benefit cap 2016

Ref: A10/2016

PDF, 311 KB, 23 pages

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A10/2016: Benefit cap, LA/DWP email notification template

MS Word Document, 38 KB

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A9/2016: Personal details verification report

Ref: A9/2016

PDF, 149 KB, 10 pages

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A9/2016: Form CIS 500 (only completed if own Customer Information System can't be changed)

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 216 KB

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A8/2016: The Secondary Annuities Market and Housing Benefit

Ref: A8/2016

PDF, 192 KB, 6 pages

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A7/2016: The Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

Ref: A7/2016

PDF, 155 KB, 8 pages

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A6/2016: Payment Deductions Project

Ref: A6/2016

PDF, 191 KB, 15 pages

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A5/2016: Optional Real Time Information Bulk Data Matching Initiative

Ref: A5/2016

PDF, 180 KB, 10 pages

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A5/2016: Example optional Real Time Information file

Ref: A5/2016

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 16.5 KB

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A5/2016: Example Real Time Information raw file

Ref: A5/2016

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 19.5 KB

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A4/2016: Housing Benefit operational information, performance support and engagement for financial year 2016/17

Ref: A4/2016

PDF, 107 KB, 4 pages

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A3/2016: HB (abolition of the family premium and limiting backdating) (Amendment) Reg 2015 and UC and Miscellaneous Amendment Regs 2015

Ref: A3/2016

PDF, 132 KB, 5 pages

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A2/2016: Extension of Fraud and Error Reduction Incentive Scheme 2016/17

Ref: A2/2016

PDF, 220 KB, 17 pages

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A1/2016: Managing capital cases where Payment Protection Insurance may be included

Ref: A1/2016

PDF, 259 KB, 11 pages

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Details

Adjudication circulars provide advice, guidance and information on Housing Benefit to local authority staff. They update the Housing Benefit guidance manual.

The circulars make many references to Council Tax Benefit as this was administered by local authorities alongside Housing Benefit until March 2013. In April 2013 Council Tax Benefit was replaced by local authorities’ own council tax support and reduction schemes, removing DWP’s involvement.

Readers will need to consider references to Council Tax Benefit in these documents accordingly.

For enquiries about the distribution of circulars, email: housing.correspondenceandpqs@dwp.gov.uk.

Published 18 January 2016
Last updated 14 December 2018 + show all updates

1. 14 December 2018

   Revised HB circular A6/2016. Escalation, debt management, paragraph 33 - new telephone number for recoveries, payments, balances, etc: 0800 916 0647.

2. 21 December 2016

   Added HB Circular A12/2016: Housing Benefit: Uprating 2017-18.

3. 28 November 2016

   Added HB Circular A11/2016:Payment Deduction Project interface: local authority user guidance.

4. 9 November 2016

   Replaced A10/2016 and appendix: Administration of the benefit cap 2016 with revised guidance on Dual cases, Specified Accommodation regulation changes and enhancements regarding Grace Period entitlement.

5. 14 October 2016

   Replaced A10/2016 with revised annex B - Example award notification.

6. 13 October 2016

   Added HB circular A10/2016: Administration of the benefit cap 2016 and benefit cap LA/DWP email notification template.

7. 27 September 2016

   Added HB Circular A9/2016: Personal details verification report and CIS 500 form.

8. 20 September 2016

   Added HB Circular A8/2016: The Secondary Annuities Market and Housing Benefit.

9. 25 July 2016

   Revised HB circular A7/2016: Amended dates in example 1 below paragraph 15.

10. 20 July 2016

    Added HB Circular A7/2016: The Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

11. 14 July 2016

    Added HB Circular A6/2016: Payment Deductions Project.

12. 13 June 2016

    Added HB Circular A5/2016: Optional Real Time Information (RTI) Bulk Data Matching Initiative and example optional RTI and raw files.

13. 2 March 2016

    Added HB Circular A4/2016: Housing Benefit operational information, performance support and engagement 2016/17.

14. 25 February 2016

    Added HB circular A3/2016: The Housing Benefit (Abolition of the Family premium and limiting backdating) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 and the Universal Credit and Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 2015.

15. 12 February 2016

    Published HB circular A2/2016: Extension of Fraud and Error Reduction Incentive Scheme 2016/17.

16. 18 January 2016

    First published.