Last updated:
30th December 2024
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Legitimacy of service charges
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Follow on request from WBCIR:21068
1. Once the claimant passes the landlord's service charge demand to the benefits processing team and the council has confirmed that the charges are eligible, what policy and procedure is in place to ensure that the actual charges are both reasonable and legitimate.
From our Benefits manager, we do not rely on a single fixed policy. Instead, we assess each case on its individual circumstances to ensure that the charges are both reasonable and legitimate. In practice, this means we:
• Apply local knowledge and prior experience of similar claims and properties to identify whether the charges appear consistent with what we would normally expect.
• Compare the charges with previous submissions from the same landlord or similar accommodation types to help identify any anomalies or unusual increases.
• Request further evidence or clarification where any charges appear unusually high or out of line with what we reasonably expect. This may include asking the landlord for a breakdown of costs, supporting invoices, or a clear justification.
• Review all information provided before making a final decision on whether the charge is reasonable and can be allowed.
This approach ensures that decisions are fair, consistent, and based on both evidence and informed judgement.
