Guidance

Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2022

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

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 4 February 2022
• Last updated: 20 December 2022 — See all updates

Documents

A7/2022: Housing Benefit debt recovered by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Debt Management

Ref: A7/2022

HTML

A6/2022: The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Victims of Domestic Abuse and Victims of Modern Slavery) Amendment Regulations 2022

HTML

A5/2022: Housing Benefit Award Accuracy Initiative for financial year ending March 2023

HTML

A4/2022: The Social Security (Habitual Residence) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme

HTML

A3/2022 (revised): Changes to supported housing and temporary accommodation Single Housing Benefit Extract management information

HTML

A2/2022: War Pensions uprating for the financial year ending March 2023

Ref: A2/2022

HTML

A1/2022: The Social Security (Income and Capital Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

HTML

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 4 February 2022
Last updated 20 December 2022 + show all updates

1. 20 December 2022

   Corrected the email address in paragraphs 40 and 62 of circular A7/2022.

2. 1 December 2022

   Added HB circular A7/2022: Housing Benefit debt recovered by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Debt Management.

3. 26 October 2022

   In circular A6/2022 corrected the email address for queries to housing.policycorrespondence@dwp.gov.uk

4. 30 September 2022

   Published circular 'A6/2022: The Housing Benefit and Universal Credit (Victims of Domestic Abuse and Victims of Modern Slavery) Amendment Regulations 2022'.

5. 28 September 2022

   Added revised circular A3/2022 - updated to include an example of where care, support and supervision costs are not available but the LA is satisfied that support is provided and the funding stream for this support is met outside of HB. Further information on LAs use of the property register. Links to the new HB guidance on supported housing claims. Further lines on standard deduction rates for ineligible meals. Clarity on local authorities actioning exception files. Clarity on where accommodation meets the criteria for both specified accommodation and temporary accommodation and how this should be recorded. Frequently asked questions about specific issues raised since the release of the IT changes at a new Annex C.

6. 5 May 2022

   Published circular A5/2022 (Housing Benefit Award Accuracy Initiative for financial year ending March 2023).

7. 8 April 2022

   Published A3/2022. Corrected an email address in A4/2022.

8. 6 April 2022

   Added A4/2022.

9. 18 February 2022

   Added A2/2022: War Pensions uprating for the financial year ending March 2023.

10. 4 February 2022

    First published.