I am requesting the following information regarding Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs):

1. How many applications for DHPs did the council receive in 2020/21?
517

2. How many of the applications in question 1 did the council approve? (i.e. the council decided to award DHP in response to the application, either in full or in part)
504

3. How many of the applications in question 2 were awarded in full? (i.e. the council decided to award the full amount applied for in the DHP application)
Information not held

4. How many of the applications in question 1 did the council refuse? (i.e. the council decided not to award any DHP in response to the application)
13
5. How many applications for DHPs did the council receive in 2021/22?
426

6. How many of the applications in question 5 did the council approve? (i.e. the council decided to award DHP in response to the application, either in full or in part)
414

7. How many of the applications in question 6 were awarded in full? (i.e. the council decided to award the full amount applied for in the DHP application)
Information not held

8. How many of the applications in question 5 did the council refuse? (i.e. the council decided not to award any DHP in response to the application)
12

9. Please provide any data the council holds on reasons for DHPs being refused in 2020/21 and 2021/22
Information not held, however main reasons for refusals are:
a) There is no shortfall in their rent to what is covered by housing benefit or UC housing costs
b) Failure to provide information /supporting documents such as bank statements

10. What was the average amount of DHP awarded in response to successful DHP applications in 2020/21? This is the amount awarded for each application, not to each household (i.e. three successive awards to one household count as three separate awards). Successful applications in this question are those that were awarded any money
£457.04 (includes ongoing and one-off payments)

11. What was the average amount of DHP awarded in response to successful DHP applications in 2021/22? (See notes accompanying question 10)
£435.77 (includes ongoing and one-off payments)