Guidance
S6/2023 Housing Benefit Award Accuracy Initiative funding for the financial year ending March 2024 for local authorities participating from 3 April 2023
Updated 19 December 2023
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2023
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Who should read
All Housing Benefit (HB) staff
Action
For information
Revisions
The payment for Gloucester City Council has been revised in Annex A.
Guidance Manual
The information in this circular does not affect the content of the HB Guidance Manual.
Queries
If you want extra copies of this circular/copies of previous circulars, they can be found in the Housing Benefit for local authorities: subsidy circulars collection.
If you have any queries about the:
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technical content of this circular, contact lawelfare.lafunding@dwp.gov.uk
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HB administration subsidy payment arrangements, contact hb.nonsubsidy@dwp.gov.uk
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distribution of this circular, contact lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk
Introduction
1. This circular is to confirm that total funding of approximately £10.9 million will be paid to local authorities (LAs) participating in the Housing Benefit Award Accuracy (HBAA) Initiative for the financial year ending (FYE) March 2024 from 3 April 2023.
Funding details
2. The funding is intended to support LAs to proactively identify unreported changes and make sure the right amount of HB is paid to the right person, at the right time by undertaking the following activities:
- HB Full Case Reviews
- Housing Benefit Matching Service referrals, including:
- Self-Employed Earnings Reviews
- the correct recording of all case information on LA IT systems
3. LAs are expected to profile their caseload consistently month on month, over the 12-month duration of the Initiative to complete 100% of their funded activities.
4. Circular HB A4/2023 provides details of the HBAA Initiative for the FYE March 2024.
5. If LAs have any queries regarding the HBAA Initiative they can contact lawelfare.frauderrordebt@dwp.gov.uk
Payment details
6. The individual funding payments for LAs are shown in Annex A below.
7. Payments will be made to participating LAs during the week commencing 24 April 2023.
Annex A: HBAA Initiative funding for FYE March 2024 (LAs participating from 3 April 2023)
| Local authority | Maximum funding |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council | £19,702.82 |
| Aberdeenshire Council | £10,699.32 |
| Adur District Council | £8,955.27 |
| Amber Valley Borough Council | £13,752.80 |
| Angus Council | £7,121.01 |
| Argyll and Bute Council | £7,014.77 |
| Arun District Council | £20,176.02 |
| Ashfield District Council | £12,516.34 |
| Ashford Borough Council | £13,771.17 |
| Babergh District Council | £6,839.17 |
| Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council | £22,731.88 |
| Basildon Council | £26,512.95 |
| Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council | £21,695.77 |
| Bassetlaw District Council | £7,973.80 |
| Bath and North East Somerset Council | £18,272.23 |
| Bedford Borough Council | £32,437.52 |
| Birmingham City Council | £589,756.50 |
| Blaby District Council | £5,938.19 |
| Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | £22,052.05 |
| Blackpool Council | £26,172.38 |
| Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council | £6,880.29 |
| Bolsover District Council | £5,446.41 |
| Bolton Council | £39,905.61 |
| Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk | £15,692.26 |
| Borough of Broxbourne Council | £18,191.44 |
| Boston Borough Council | £8,683.99 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | £69,258.10 |
| Bracknell Forest Council | £15,402.01 |
| Braintree District Council | £15,975.71 |
| Breckland Council | £15,276.98 |
| Brent Council | £160,785.31 |
| Brentwood Borough Council | £3,629.17 |
| Bridgend County Borough Council | £15,838.21 |
| Brighton and Hove City Council | £77,584.79 |
| Bristol City Council | £94,957.01 |
| Broadland District Council | £11,891.68 |
| Bromsgrove District Council | £7,322.83 |
| Broxtowe Borough Council | £8,281.22 |
| Buckinghamshire Council | £64,313.12 |
| Burnley Borough Council | £13,639.29 |
| Bury Council | £23,233.57 |
| Caerphilly County Borough Council | £19,053.40 |
| Calderdale Council | £25,075.99 |
| Cambridge City Council | £16,790.34 |
| Cannock Chase District Council | £8,390.74 |
| Canterbury City Council | £18,869.47 |
| Cardiff Council | £69,425.94 |
| Carmarthenshire County Council | £16,843.72 |
| Castle Point Borough Council | £10,025.68 |
| Central Bedfordshire Council | £31,988.95 |
| Ceredigion County Council | £9,230.76 |
| Charnwood Borough Council | £16,178.45 |
| Chelmsford City Council | £24,876.41 |
| Cheltenham Borough Council | £14,045.91 |
| Cherwell District Council | £16,968.88 |
| Cheshire East Council | £30,310.32 |
| Cheshire West and Chester Council | £31,185.89 |
| Chesterfield Borough Council | £12,737.31 |
| Chichester District Council | £15,863.23 |
| Chorley Council | £10,314.46 |
| City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council | £87,887.42 |
| City of Edinburgh Council | £107,552.58 |
| City of Lincoln Council | £14,674.41 |
| City of London Corporation | £1,953.43 |
| City of Wolverhampton Council | £33,371.40 |
| City of York Council | £15,728.64 |
| Clackmannanshire Council | £6,025.89 |
| Colchester Borough Council | £28,181.79 |
| Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar | £2,167.58 |
| Conwy County Borough Council | £17,967.99 |
| Cornwall Council | £94,949.06 |
| Cotswold District Council | £6,307.05 |
| Council of the Isle of Scilly | £0.00 |
| Coventry City Council | £72,381.10 |
| Crawley Borough Council | £22,918.54 |
| Croydon Council | £130,258.46 |
| Cumberland Council | £22,660.22 |
| Dacorum Borough Council | £21,938.02 |
| Darlington Borough Council | £11,575.02 |
| Dartford Borough Council | £13,819.28 |
| Denbighshire County Council | £15,511.82 |
| Derby City Council | £44,128.19 |
| Derbyshire Dales District Council | £5,688.77 |
| Doncaster Council | £34,187.38 |
| Dorset Council | £45,889.13 |
| Dover District Council | £14,519.49 |
| Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council | £24,902.68 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | £14,153.11 |
| Dundee City Council | £21,126.25 |
| Durham County Council | £72,627.03 |
| East Ayrshire Council | £6,772.33 |
| East Cambridgeshire District Council | £8,035.37 |
| East Devon District Council | £14,148.86 |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | £6,092.31 |
| East Hampshire District Council | £9,723.69 |
| East Herts District Council | £14,077.69 |
| East Lindsey District Council | £15,803.96 |
| East Lothian Council | £11,892.77 |
| East Renfrewshire Council | £5,808.27 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire Council | £21,963.14 |
| East Staffordshire Borough Council | £14,317.50 |
| East Suffolk Council | £24,380.29 |
| Eastbourne Borough Council | £22,745.57 |
| Eastleigh Borough Council | £11,520.13 |
| Elmbridge Borough Council | £17,334.41 |
| Enfield Council | £200,986.45 |
| Epping Forest District Council | £13,656.60 |
| Epsom and Ewell Borough Council | £13,094.75 |
| Erewash Borough Council | £13,329.45 |
| Exeter City Council | £21,151.90 |
| Falkirk Council | £10,347.66 |
| Fareham Borough Council | £8,846.67 |
| Fenland District Council | £12,495.97 |
| Fife Council | £40,736.88 |
| Flintshire County Council | £12,912.32 |
| Folkestone and Hythe District Council (Shepway) | £12,924.94 |
| Forest of Dean District Council | £9,178.46 |
| Fylde Council | £7,359.59 |
| Gateshead Council | £28,315.89 |
| Gedling Borough Council | £12,829.89 |
| Glasgow City Council | £155,277.75 |
| Gloucester City Council | £7,388.58 |
| Gosport Borough Council | £10,940.85 |
| Gravesham Borough Council | £10,131.04 |
| Great Yarmouth Borough Council | £11,594.58 |
| Guildford Borough Council | £15,022.51 |
| Gwynedd Council | £13,839.70 |
| Halton Borough Council | £13,752.14 |
| Harborough District Council | £4,505.74 |
| Haringey Council | £150,496.95 |
| Harlow Council | £18,007.97 |
| Harrow Council | £90,752.47 |
| Hart District Council | £7,137.21 |
| Hartlepool Borough Council | £11,976.67 |
| Hastings Borough Council | £23,405.63 |
| Havant Borough Council | £12,705.70 |
| Herefordshire Council | £19,508.83 |
| Hertsmere Borough Council | £18,618.46 |
| High Peak Borough Council | £9,061.94 |
| Highland Council | £16,104.48 |
| Hillingdon Council | £84,240.32 |
| Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council | £7,411.68 |
| Horsham District Council | £15,161.16 |
| Hull City Council | £57,408.83 |
| Huntingdonshire District Council | £15,079.53 |
| Hyndburn Borough Council | £11,462.74 |
| Inverclyde Council | £8,130.73 |
| Ipswich Borough Council | £22,040.83 |
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | £5,669.17 |
| Isle of Wight Council | £21,833.92 |
| Islington Council | £73,923.49 |
| Kirklees Council | £50,589.48 |
| Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council | £19,451.13 |
| Lancaster City Council | £12,889.48 |
| Leeds City Council | £137,110.13 |
| Leicester City Council | £71,693.93 |
| Lewes District Council | £16,326.21 |
| Lewisham Council | £137,448.79 |
| Lichfield District Council | £5,982.39 |
| Liverpool City Council | £108,763.41 |
| London Borough of Barking and Dagenham | £90,715.33 |
| London Borough of Barnet | £150,517.00 |
| London Borough of Bexley | £46,510.93 |
| London Borough of Bromley | £59,952.13 |
| London Borough of Camden | £88,534.45 |
| London Borough of Ealing | £147,382.63 |
| London Borough of Hackney | £216,394.85 |
| London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham | £61,402.27 |
| London Borough of Havering | £46,317.76 |
| London Borough of Hounslow | £60,797.57 |
| London Borough of Lambeth | £143,818.84 |
| London Borough of Newham | £224,092.93 |
| London Borough of Redbridge | £119,622.07 |
| London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames | £25,935.07 |
| London Borough of Tower Hamlets | £182,331.68 |
| London Borough of Waltham Forest | £94,271.20 |
| Luton Borough Council | £68,558.52 |
| Maidstone Borough Council | £24,251.52 |
| Maldon District Council | £5,512.16 |
| Malvern Hills District Council | £6,218.67 |
| Manchester City Council | £155,694.24 |
| Mansfield District Council | £12,406.72 |
| Medway Council | £38,924.06 |
| Melton Borough Council | £2,746.80 |
| Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council | £5,814.51 |
| Merton Council | £48,685.72 |
| Mid Devon District Council | £6,138.22 |
| Mid Suffolk District Council | £5,772.42 |
| Mid Sussex District Council | £14,665.15 |
| Middlesbrough Council | £24,231.63 |
| Midlothian Council | £11,440.00 |
| Milton Keynes Council | £55,932.30 |
| Mole Valley District Council | £10,251.90 |
| Monmouthshire County Council | £11,203.47 |
| Moray Council | £6,942.52 |
| Neath Port Talbot County Council | £20,071.72 |
| New Forest District Council | £16,172.03 |
| Newark and Sherwood District Council | £9,310.90 |
| Newcastle City Council | £45,467.43 |
| Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council | £11,846.28 |
| Newport City Council | £23,965.56 |
| North Ayrshire Council | £13,426.13 |
| North Devon Council | £11,982.58 |
| North East Derbyshire District Council | £6,401.48 |
| North East Lincolnshire Council | £18,903.99 |
| North Hertfordshire District Council | £13,798.72 |
| North Kesteven District Council | £6,061.50 |
| North Lanarkshire Council | £30,341.30 |
| North Lincolnshire Council | £14,328.65 |
| North Norfolk District Council | £15,511.32 |
| North Northamptonshire Council | £32,641.87 |
| North Somerset Council | £21,643.30 |
| North Tyneside Council | £17,242.79 |
| North Warwickshire District Council | £4,857.26 |
| North West Leicestershire District Council | £6,230.86 |
| North Yorkshire Council | £44,382.59 |
| Northumberland County Council | £29,302.39 |
| Norwich City Council | £22,718.00 |
| Nottingham City Council | £67,775.86 |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council | £15,322.90 |
| Oadby and Wigston Borough Council | £5,078.40 |
| Oldham Council | £35,455.77 |
| Orkney Islands Council | £1,620.55 |
| Oxford City Council | £28,070.19 |
| Pembrokeshire County Council | £11,962.57 |
| Pendle Borough Council | £10,772.00 |
| Perth and Kinross Council | £7,112.72 |
| Peterborough City Council | £36,740.47 |
| Plymouth City Council | £40,422.78 |
| Portsmouth City Council | £43,926.29 |
| Powys County Council | £10,676.18 |
| Preston City Council | £23,666.81 |
| Reading Borough Council | £35,841.20 |
| Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council | £16,114.62 |
| Redditch Borough Council | £8,092.54 |
| Reigate and Banstead Borough Council | £17,030.56 |
| Renfrewshire Council | £19,025.07 |
| Rhonda Cynon Taff County Borough Council | £21,568.93 |
| Ribble Valley Borough Council | £3,116.93 |
| Rochdale Borough Council | £36,085.13 |
| Rochford District Council | £6,953.85 |
| Rossendale Borough Council | £5,392.39 |
| Rother District Council | £10,176.92 |
| Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council | £30,913.57 |
| Royal Borough of Greenwich | £102,419.85 |
| Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea | £75,429.36 |
| Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames | £35,804.70 |
| Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead | £16,475.89 |
| Rugby Borough Council | £9,218.39 |
| Runnymede Borough Council | £8,326.65 |
| Rushcliffe Borough Council | £7,633.58 |
| Rushmoor Borough Council | £12,795.65 |
| Rutland County Council | £2,175.92 |
| Salford City Council | £54,888.26 |
| Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council | £33,080.29 |
| Scottish Borders Council | £11,019.56 |
| Sefton Council | £31,353.36 |
| Sevenoaks District Council | £12,069.21 |
| Sheffield City Council | £92,784.90 |
| Shetland Islands Council | £1,116.79 |
| Shropshire Council | £23,870.99 |
| Slough Borough Council | £53,038.67 |
| Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council | £19,662.16 |
| Somerset Council | £57,236.08 |
| South Ayrshire Council | £13,557.06 |
| South Cambridgeshire District Council | £11,350.53 |
| South Derbyshire District Council | £8,051.48 |
| South Gloucestershire Council | £23,941.69 |
| South Hams District Council | £9,984.33 |
| South Holland District Council | £7,023.42 |
| South Kesteven District Council | £10,520.77 |
| South Lanarkshire Council | £25,644.02 |
| South Norfolk Council | £13,053.57 |
| South Oxfordshire District Council | £11,305.44 |
| South Ribble Borough Council | £8,228.25 |
| South Staffordshire District Council | £7,126.07 |
| South Tyneside Council | £22,640.52 |
| Southampton City Council | £49,517.62 |
| Southend On Sea Borough Council | £34,304.93 |
| Southwark Council | £102,133.98 |
| Spelthorne Borough Council | £12,461.47 |
| St Albans City and District Council | £15,745.86 |
| St Helens Council | £20,292.42 |
| Stafford Borough Council | £10,118.53 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands District Council | £5,797.15 |
| Stevenage Borough Council | £14,782.60 |
| Stirling Council | £11,275.70 |
| Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council | £24,703.65 |
| Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council | £28,732.05 |
| Stoke-On-Trent City Council | £37,056.67 |
| Stratford On Avon District Council | £10,926.47 |
| Stroud District Council | £10,760.25 |
| Sunderland City Council | £44,379.43 |
| Surrey Heath Borough Council | £6,226.08 |
| Sutton Council | £39,495.97 |
| Swale Borough Council | £23,023.29 |
| Swansea Council | £21,724.75 |
| Swindon Borough Council | £23,695.83 |
| Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council | £31,250.04 |
| Tamworth Borough Council | £6,202.32 |
| Tandridge District Council | £8,343.30 |
| Teignbridge District Council | £13,991.58 |
| Telford and Wrekin Council | £31,331.65 |
| Tendring District Council | £20,694.27 |
| Test Valley Borough Council | £14,428.45 |
| Tewkesbury Borough Council | £6,899.29 |
| Thanet District Council | £20,941.29 |
| Three Rivers District Council | £10,026.88 |
| Thurrock Council | £20,232.47 |
| Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council | £15,687.66 |
| Torbay Council | £23,707.20 |
| Torfaen County Borough Council | £12,760.60 |
| Torridge District Council | £8,167.55 |
| Trafford Council | £26,522.70 |
| Tunbridge Wells Borough Council | £13,963.46 |
| Uttlesford District Council | £5,919.27 |
| Vale of Glamorgan Council | £15,920.66 |
| Vale of White Horse District Council | £12,042.77 |
| Wakefield Council | £52,609.59 |
| Walsall Council | £41,832.99 |
| Wandsworth Council | £123,588.27 |
| Warrington Borough Council | £21,933.29 |
| Warwick District Council | £12,526.25 |
| Watford Borough Council | £24,911.68 |
| Waverley Borough Council | £11,125.96 |
| Wealden District Council | £13,911.26 |
| Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council | £18,316.62 |
| West Berkshire Council | £14,665.98 |
| West Devon Borough Council | £5,848.38 |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | £13,988.09 |
| West Lancashire Borough Council | £6,157.36 |
| West Lindsey District Council | £8,349.63 |
| West Lothian Council | £22,670.38 |
| West Northamptonshire Council | £45,229.78 |
| West Oxfordshire District Council | £9,728.46 |
| West Suffolk Council | £20,822.01 |
| Westminster City Council | £102,570.78 |
| Westmorland and Furness Council | £18,940.17 |
| Wigan Council | £30,783.41 |
| Wiltshire Council | £38,898.46 |
| Winchester City Council | £10,231.63 |
| Wirral Council | £48,381.80 |
| Woking Borough Council | £15,607.00 |
| Wokingham District Council | £8,444.55 |
| Worcester City Council | £14,757.26 |
| Worthing Borough Council | £19,304.62 |
| Wrexham County Borough Council | £15,139.23 |
| Wychavon District Council | £11,830.47 |
| Wyre Council | £10,818.21 |
| Wyre Forest District Council | £13,994.46 |