See answers to previous information requests

I would like to request information held by the council relating to “Exempt Accommodation” (EA). Unless specified otherwise, please provide the following information for each financial year from 2018/19 to 2025/26 inclusive, or for the latest date for which data is available.

1. Total Housing Benefit expenditure
For each financial year, please provide the total amount of Housing Benefit expenditure (sometimes referred to as “enhanced housing benefit”) paid in respect of all claims that meet the definition of Exempt Accommodation under Housing Benefit regulations.
To provide this information could take over 150 hours. This is because we do not record payments made in a way that this information is easily analysed/reported on. I would need to look at each claim, which is approx. 500, and then would need to look at all payments made over the 5 year period given and split into the years they require the information. We have provided one years worth as this was information already held:

2021/22: £1,340,387.94

2. Number of successful claims
Please provide the number of successful Housing Benefit claims relating to residents living in Exempt Accommodation.
2018/19: 39 claims
2019/20: 45 claims
2020/21: 57 claims
2021/22: 57 claims
2022/23: 53 claims
2023/24: 75 claims
2024/25: 110 claims
2025/26: 98 claims
2026/27: currently 71

3. Number of exempt accommodation properties
Please provide the total number of properties being used as Exempt Accommodation within the council’s area.
34

4. Breakdown of provider types
For the properties identified in Question 3, please provide a breakdown by provider type, including:
a) Number of Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
b) Number of registered charities only
c) Number of Community Interest Companies (CICs)
d) Number of Private Limited Companies
e) Number owned by the council
f) Number classified as other provider types (please specify the type)

2020

9 Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
3 registered charities only
1 Community Interest Companies (CICs)

2021

9 Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
3 registered charities only
1 Community Interest Companies (CICs)

2022

9 Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
4 registered charities only
2 Community Interest Companies (CICs)

2023

10 Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
4 registered charities only
2 Community Interest Companies (CICs)

2024

11 Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
4 registered charities only
2 Community Interest Companies (CICs)

2025

11 Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
4 registered charities only
2 Community Interest Companies (CICs)

5. Providers of Exempt Accommodation
Please provide a list of all organisations or individuals operating or registered as providers of Exempt Accommodation within the council’s area as of the date of this request.
A2 Dominion
Alliance Loving
BWA
Central And Cecil Housing Trust
Dimensions(UK) Ltd
Ehsl Supported Housing
Encircle Housing Association
Home Group Ltd
Hope and Vision
Housing Solutions
My Great Life CIC
Norwood
Ravenswood Foundation
Sovereign Housing Group
Space Supported Housing Cic
Transform Housing And Support Ltd
Yeldall Christian Centres

6. Weekly Housing Benefit Amounts
Regarding the weekly Housing Benefit paid per resident in Exempt Accommodation, please provide for each financial year:
a) Highest weekly amount paid
b) Average weekly amount paid
c) Lowest weekly amount paid

Current financial year 2026/27
a) £695.20
b) £334.47
c) £128.82

We have provided the information for the current year as this was possible within the time allocated. However, to be able to provide the same information for the previous financial years would take 30-60 hours. This is because we cannot report on the entitlement for each claim over the previous years so this would be manual task. There are approx. 380 claims that would need to be looked at and many fall into more than one financial year. We estimate this could take 5-10mins per claim hence the 30-60 hour timeframe.

7. Average length of stay
Please provide the average length of stay for residents living in Exempt Accommodation.
The average length of stay over the period 01.04.2018 to date is 440 days

8. Assessment of new providers
Please provide details of the council’s current process for assessing new providers of Exempt Supported Accommodation before Housing Benefit payments are approved. This may include any due diligence, quality assurance, safeguarding checks, inspections, referral pathways, or standards applied.
Any new provider details are reviewed by a senior benefits officer. They will verify the landlords status, ie charity, HA etc. If they are a CIC the relevant documents will be checked on Companies House or requested from the Landlord.

The landlord will then be sent a proforma to complete so we can understand more about their set up. This asks about where they receive their referrals, property size, services provided etc. In addition, it asks for full details of rent and services charged and any supporting evidence.

This is then reviewed by the senior officer. If it is felt that more information is needed we would contact the landlord to provide and/or contact them to arrange an appointment to discuss the scheme.

In addition, we are in contact with neighbouring authorities and all share information about exempt providers and this can help understand better a Landlords position