Agenda item

A presentation will be provided to Members. 

(a)       That the presentation be received and Members’ comments noted; and

(b)       That the Department of Work and Pensions be asked to provide an awareness workshop for all Members.

The Manager – Advice and Homelessness Service provided a detailed presentation; the main features were as follows:-

·         The Welfare Reform Act 2012

·         All change for welfare benefits

·         The impacts

·         Mitigating the impacts

·         Work in progress

The Chair and Members of the Committee thanked the Manager – Advice and Homelessness Service for the detailed and informative presentation.  

Councillor H.J. McGuill asked who funded the gap if residents who were affected by the changes had requested a move to smaller properties but there were no suitable sized properties available.  She also asked whether assistance was being provided to residents on how to set up a direct debit to pay their rent as the payment was no longer being made direct to the landlord.  The officer explained that the rent gap was the responsibility of the tenant even if a more suitable property was not available.  Work had been undertaken with tenants on a support plan to prepare them for the changes.    

Councillor I. Smith asked how many children were affected by the changes.  The officer advised that he did not have the information with him but that he would obtain the details following the meeting. 

Councillor D.E. Wisinger asked about rooms used by family members serving in the armed forces and why details of the addresses of carers who had to stay overnight to care for the severely disabled were being sought.  He also raised concern about whether suitably adapted properties were available for the disabled residents who had to downsize because of the cuts.  In response, the officer said that there was a temporary absence rule which he felt would apply in the case of those away in the armed forces.  The addresses of carers were being sought as the rules stated that if a person was severely disabled and required a non-residential carer to stay for two to three nights per week the property could have an extra bedroom for the carer.  He added that this was a decision of the Council’s Housing Benefit department.  On the issue of severely disabled residents needing to be rehoused to properties that may not be adapted for their needs, the officer explained that the Department for Work and Pensions was considering again the impacts of the housing benefit reforms on households containing a person with a severe disability.  He also advised that the Discretionary Housing Payment may be available for those in hardship. 

Councillor S. Jones raised concern about the small number of council properties available and asked whether residents could take the Government to court as the inability to rehouse them in a suitably sized property was out of their control.  Councillor M. Lowe asked whether a Disability Living Allowance payment was stopped whilst an appeal was being considered following an assessment to establish the entitlement to the payment and also how the applicant would get about if their mobility payment was stopped.  The officer responded that if an assessment had been undertaken and a claimant was not entitled to a personal independence payment, the payment would stop during the appeal process.  However if they lost the motabilty payment then the applicant may be allowed to retain the disability car whilst awaiting the outcome of their appeal.

Councillor V. Gay emphasised the importance of applicants contacting the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) when they first needed to make a claim as their claim date was used as the first point of contact.  The officer advised the Committee of the DWP visiting team who assisted claimants in completing their claim application.  Councillor Gay asked if the DWP could attend a workshop to provide a presentation to Members. 

            Councillor H.G. Roberts raised concern about some bedrooms in properties which were too small to be a bedroom for two people and asked for further information about the assessments to establish a person’s ability to work.  The officer responded that a room may not be classed as a bedroom if it was below a certain size and such decisions would be made by the Landord.  He explained that the assessments were independent and consisted of a series of 15 activities and 10 mental health activities. 

            Councillor M. Bateman asked if Flintshire County Council could be seen as negligent if a tenant was forced to downsize because of the regulations if a suitable size property was not available thereby forcing them to pay money they could not afford.  The officer responded that it was the choice of the resident to stay and pay the difference in rent or move to a suitable sized property.  He reminded the Committee that the reforms targeted working people up to the age of 61.5 years and those in receipt of Disability Living Allowance up to the age of 65.  

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the presentation be received and Members’ comments noted; and

(b)       That the Department of Work and Pensions be asked to provide an awareness workshop for all Members.