9 September 2022
Your questions
1. Please state the local authority's expenditure (including use of Government grants) on clearing the arrears of tenants in the following financial years:
- 2017/2018
- 2018/2019
- 2019/2020
- 2020/2021
- 2021/2022
2. For each of the above years, please provide a breakdown of expenditure on clearing the arrears of:
- council housing tenants
- housing association tenants
- private rental sector tenants.
3. Please state the local authority's expenditure (including use of Government grants) on discretionary housing payments to assist ongoing renting costs of tenants in the following years.
- 2017/2018
- 2018/2019
- 2019/2020
- 2020/2021
- 2021/2022
4. For each of the above years, please provide a breakdown of expenditure on assisting the ongoing renting costs of:
- council housing tenants
- housing association tenants
- private rental sector tenants.
Our response
Total write-offs (including former tenant accounts) were:
- 2017/2018 - £842,062.84
- 2018/2019 - £1,662,912.38
- 2019/2020 - £878,048.40
- 2020/2021 - £110,235.49
- 2021/2022 - £216,222.55
The Lambeth Housing Team manages and administers the discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) for council tenants and temporary accommodation customers who are impacted by either the Bedroom Tax or Benefit Cap.
The team started supporting TA customers impacted by the benefit cap from the 2018/19 financial year
Below are spent amount for the requested financial years.
2017/2018
- Bedroom tax - £148,937.55
- Benefit cap - £158,728.50
Total- £307,666.05
2018/2019
- Bedroom tax - £156,253.10
- Council Benefit cap - £129,208.10
- TA Benefit cap - £271,607.25
Total - £285,461.20
2019/2020
- Bedroom tax - £225,087.38
- Council Benefit cap - £75,895.25
- TA Benefit cap - £237,587.65
Total - £538,570.28
2020/2021
- Bedroom tax - £379,777.16
- Council Benefit cap - £116,020.91
- TA Benefit cap - £218,128.14
Total - £713,926.21
2021/2022
- Bedroom tax - £245,473.81
- Council Benefit cap - £107,977.55
- TA Benefit cap - £96,224.73
Total - £449,676.09