Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on steps to take when a claimant of housing benefit who retains an award of employment and support allowance reports a change of circumstance in the form of Permitted Work.
Answered by Steve Webb
Guidance to local authorities on permitted work and how it affects Housing Benefit is provided in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter BW2, specifically paragraphs W2.141 and following. A link is provided below.
There is no specific suspension rule relating to permitted work cases. Decision makers have general powers to suspend any payment of Housing Benefit, in whole or part, when there is an issue about whether the conditions for entitlement are or were fulfilled, or a question arises about whether a decision to award HB should be revised or superseded. This might be exercised where, for example, the decision maker needs further information from the claimant in order accurately to assess Housing Benefit entitlement. It is not an obligatory power; the decision maker may decide whether or not to suspend, based on the circumstances of the case. Guidance is in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter C8. A link is provided below.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements his Department makes for disabled people to contact his Department by email.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Department makes reasonable adjustments for disabled people to use alternative communication channels where appropriate, including email.