A new or existing tenant may be eligible for a decoration or disturbance allowance where the council need to carry out major repairs or redecoration work to a property whilst the tenant is still living there.

Where the local authority is notified that a local resident is going into hospital the council will have to reassess any benefit entitlement.

Under the home move purchase scheme the local authority will pay a tenant a grant to help them buy their new home. The tenant must give up their property to be eligible for this scheme.

The repair assistance grant scheme provides financial assistance towards the cost of materials required to carry out repairs, improvements or adaptations to owner occupied or privately rented property. Grants are usually only available to the most vulnerable people who need helpin order to ensure there home is a safe living environment.

Anyone who has claimed housing benefit and disagrees with the decision made in their assessment can challenge the decision by submitting an appeal form within one month of the date of the original decision. The authority is responsible for advising claimants of appeal procedures and investigating each appeal.

A claimant may be eligible for their claim for housing benefit to be backdated (by up to 1 month if working age and 3 months if pension age) if there is a good cause why they were unable to apply for their housing benefit earlier. The authority is responsible for advising residents about eligibility for backdating claims and for processing applications.

Review of housing benefit for an existing client usually as a result of a change of circumstances (new job, change of address etc.)

Processing of a new claim for housing benefit from council, social and private tenants. Claims require evidence of tenancy and income in order to assess eligibility for benefit, where the LA is unable to obtain it elsewhere.

The local authority has a duty to recover overpayments of benefit for which there was no entitlement from tenants and landlords and where necessary take criminal proceedings in respect of fraudulent overpayments.

Local authorities may review the circumstances of anyone who is currently receiving housing benefit and/or local council tax reduction.

Provision of a discretionary allowance to tenants where it has not been possible to carry out essential repairs to their home or to communal areas around their home within a reasonable or agreed timeframe.

The local authority is obliged to send details of a tenancy to the Rent Office for private tenants in receipt of housing benefit whose tenancy commenced after 1 January 1989, where Local Housing Allowance is not applicable. It is the responsibility of the Rent Officer to tell the local authority if the tenant is being charged a reasonable rent for accommodation. The Rent Officer will make a determination and advise the authority of the appropriate rent to be used in any Housing Benefit assessment.