I have no need for documents, guides or policy documents produced by the Department for Work and Pensions. This request includes Category 1 specified accommodation (aka exempt accommodation) and Category 2 managed accommodation.

1. Please provide all current documents, guides, proformas, and policy documents which have been produced by Wokingham Borough Council and are used by Housing Benefit assessors, Senior Assessment Officers, Appeals officers, other specialist officers, and Team Leaders for specified accommodation HB claims.

Any new claim that would be considered to fall under specified accommodation regulations is reviewed by the new claims team. All Housing benefit claims are assed under current legislation which can be found with the Housing Benefit Regulations which are available to the public on-line at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/214/contents (The Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006) and https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/213/contents (The Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 for those persons who have not attained the qualifying age for state pension credit). Generally, the claimant will then be sent the following letters, Specified New claim Further info letter, Landlord information request and Rent pro forma, all attached.

Once the relevant information is received a senior officer will confirm that the claim meets the criteria to be considered as specified accommodation, including exempt accommodation. The decision in regards to whether care, support or supervision is more than minimal is made by senior officers based on each individual claimant’s circumstances, there is no set local criteria or trigger. Senior officers have had extensive training from providers such as Zebra Training Services and HBinfo and training/guidance notes from these sessions, these also include details of commissioner’s decisions that may be relevant to our decision making. Further information for guidance can also be found by decision makers in the Housing Benefit guidance for supported housing claims, attached to this email. In addition, guidance is found in, Help with Housing Costs 2025-26: Advising on housing benefit, universal credit and pension credit - by Sam Lister (Author), Roger Thwaits (Author), Martin Ward (Author), this can be bought on-line. All assessors, senior or not, have access to a site called HBinfo which provides discussion forums for advice from other LA’s and Housing benefit experts.

Any decision made over which services are eligible or not are made in line with the Housing Benefit Regulations with guidance also given in DWP Circular A4 eligible rent, attached to the email.