News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members other artilces from the February / March 2002 issue RPI news archive

Government admits weekly housing benefit changes - February / March 2002

Minister for Work and Pensions Malcolm Wicks has been obliged to admit that some 519 sets of housing benefit regulations, statutory instruments and departmental circulars outlining housing benefit changes were issued in the last five years.

Although by no means the worst year for changes, 2001 saw eight sets of regulations issued, 20 statutory instruments, and 74 housing benefit circulars. The circulars alone were issued at the rate of one every five days.

The information came in a written response to Parliamentary questions and was accompanied by the announcement of a 'Regulatory Scrutiny Group', which will include local authority representatives and be charged with considering 'future proposed regulations and to report the implications for local authorities'.

From landlords' point of view some of the most important changes made last year were included in the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No 2) Regulations. Laid before Parliament in April and effective from October, these gave landlords protection against recovery of housing benefit paid to them when an overpayment has been discovered as the result of the landlords' own written notification of suspicions that their tenants had made dishonest claims. The proviso is that there has been no collusion between tenant and landlord, nor neglect amounting to a contributory factor on the part of the landlord.

• The latest change to housing benefit is included in the Social Security (Loss of Benefit) Regulations 2001 ­ laid before Parliament in December and effective from April. These make restrictions to certain benefits, including housing benefit, to those convicted twice within three years of a benefit offence or offences.

other artilces from the February / March 2002 issue

• Hostility causes brain drain
• Government admits weekly housing benefit changes
• Fitting way to avoid stamp duty penalty
• House prices buoyant after September setback
• In search of TV stars
• Falconer says 'strong case' for compulsory deposit scheme
• Default tenant database launched
• Do it yourself conviction
• In brief