Homelessness

1. The number of households who were initially assessed for eligibility for homelessness support each month in January, February and March 2021 (regardless of the outcome of that assessment)
79.

2. The number of households in question 1 who were assessed as owed the prevention duty, each month in January, February and March 2021
32.

3. The number of households in question 1 who were assessed as owed the relief duty as the outcome of their initial assessment (i.e. not at the end of their prevention duty), each month in January, February and March 2021
47.

4. The number of households who were assessed as owed the main housing duty between January and March 2021 inclusive (NB this will include households whose initial assessment was prior to January 2021; question 4 is not limited to those households covered in the question 1 response)
16.

5. The number of households who were owed the relief duty, between January and March 2021 inclusive, at the end of their prevention duty (NB this will include households whose initial assessment was prior to January 2021; accordingly, question 5 is not limited to those households covered in the question 1 response)
22 households, plus 47 households from question 2. Total: 69

Council housing rent

Questions 6-14 apply to council housing tenants *including tenants of ALMOs*. If the council does not have council housing or an ALMO, please proceed to question 15. In these questions, the council may use four weeks, 30 days etc, instead of ‘one month’, and double those figures for ‘two months’, depending on how it records the information.

6. How many council housing tenant households are there overall?
2,530 tenancies at Sunday 4 April 2021.

7. How many council housing tenant households are currently in arrears on their rent by at least one month?
237 at Sunday 4 April 2021.

8. How many council housing tenant households are currently in arrears on their rent by at least two months?
138 at Sunday 4 April 2021.

9. How many council housing tenant households currently receive Housing Benefit (not Universal Credit)?
917 of 2,530 tenancies at Sunday 4 April 2021. Note: a large amount of the 917 are people of pensionable age.

10. How many council housing tenant households currently receiving Housing Benefit are currently in arrears on their rent by at least one month?
22 at Sunday 4 April 2021.

11. How many council housing tenant households currently receiving Housing Benefit are currently in arrears on their rent by at least two months?
11 at Sunday 4 April 2021.

12. How many council housing tenant households currently receive the housing costs element of Universal Credit? If the housing costs element can't be identified, please give figures for those in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of the specific elements (please specify if this is the case)
Up to 713 of 2,530 tenancies at Sunday 4 April 2021. Note: we record when people apply for UC through when being asked to verify the rent. Universal Credit do not advise Landlords when someone stops receiving UC so 713 is the maximum number and in reality, some of the 713 will no longer be receiving UC. We have verified the rent for all 713, but are not aware exactly how many of the 713 are receiving housing costs as part of their UC award.

13. Of the households referred to in response to question 12, how many are currently in arrears on their rent by at least one month?
172 of 713 at Sunday 4 April 2021. Note: of the 713 UC applicants, total owing at the start date of the UC application for the 713 was £397,083.31 (includes arrears, zero and credit balances combined) and at 4 April 2021, this had reduced to £232,522.35 so a reduction of £164,560.96 so average arrears reduction per 713 claimants is £230.80 per person. Therefore, Wokingham Borough Council have processes in place to support tenants that has actually seen rent arrears reduce for UC claimants when comparing start balance when applying for UC, compared to 4 April 2021 balance.

14. Of the households referred to in response to question 12, how many are currently in arrears on their rent by at least two months?
111 of 713 at Sunday 4 April 2021. Note: of the 713 UC applicants, total owing at the start date of the UC application for the 713 was £397,083.31 (includes arrears, zero and credit balances combined) and at 4 April 2021, this had reduced to £232,522.35 so a reduction of £164,560.96 so average arrears reduction per 713 claimants is £230.80 per person. Therefore, Wokingham Borough Council have processes in place to support tenants that has actually seen rent arrears reduce for UC claimants when comparing start balance when applying for UC, compared to 4 April 2021 balance.

DHP applications

15. For each month since January 2021 (inclusive), please state how much was awarded in Discretionary Housing Payments that month (monetary value)
January 2021: £16,186.72
February 2021: £32,641.78
March 2021: £52,009.84

16. For each month since January 2021 (inclusive), please state how much was awarded in DHPs that month based on the impact on the claimant of the benefit cap (monetary value)
January 2021: £3,243.48
February 2021: £16,247.45
March 2021: £15,073.24

17. For each month since January 2021 (inclusive), please state how many new awards of DHPs were made that month (numerical value, not monetary value)
January 2021: 56 Awards
February 2021: 59 Awards
March 2021: 90 Awards

18. For each month since January 2021 (inclusive), please state how many new awards of DHPs were made that month where the award was based on the impact on the claimant of the benefit cap (numerical value, not monetary value)
January 2021: 13 Awards
February 2021: 15 Awards
March 2021: 23 Awards

NRPF
19. Please state how many applications for homelessness support since 1st April 2020 have been rejected due to the applicant being ineligible for public funds under No Recourse to Public Funds rules – this is an overall figure, not a monthly one
We have made one not eligible decision in 2020/2021 due to applicant not having recourse to public funds; we did accommodate however accommodate this applicant under discretionary powers in response to the Covid-19 pandemic