Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to approve amendments to the Council’s current Housing Allocations Policy to ensure that it remains compliant with new legislation, pending a full revision of the policy in late 2014.

Cabinet resolved to agree the following amendments to the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy:

(i)  The assessment of bedroom number to be in accordance with housing benefit regulations, as set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report, and be applied to all cases held for assessment since the benefit regulations came into effect in April 2013;

(ii)  To allow discretion to the rule that an allocation of housing cannot happen if the applicant is in rent arrears, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report;

(iii)  To grant ‘Additional Preference’ status to housing applications from British Armed Forces personnel who meet the statutory criteria set out in paragraph 2.3.1 of the report;

(iv)  As an additional local arrangement, to extend the ‘Additional Preference’ status to those Reserve Forces personnel who meet the criteria set out in paragraph 2.3.3 of the report; and

(v)  The updated arrangements for the allocation of Council homes let above social rent levels, as set out in paragraph 2.4 of the report.