Housing Benefit Overview for Advisors

Course Overview 

This 1-day Housing Benefit overview course is perfect for those with little or no knowledge of Housing Benefits. It provides an overview of the Housing Benefit scheme, including how the calculation is made up and how changes in circumstances affect entitlement. The course is designed for staff who need to give basic advice and information.   

This course is written by our experts with over 25 years’ experience in local authority legislation. It is designed to provide you with an understanding of the general principles and practices of housing benefits, and to confidently deal with claims and evidence verification. 

Learners will experience a range of classroom teaching methods including group-working, case studies and both individual and group presentations. Traditional teaching is supported by a virtual learning environment that is used to host a range of electronic supporting materials. 

Assessment is provided by a mix of coursework, as well as verbal and written examination. Helpful feedback will also be provided to the learner and the employer. 

What you’ll Learn:  

By the end of this course you’ll be able to:  

• Give basic Housing Benefit advice and information to clients 
• Understand when to accept a claim for Housing Benefit (and when to signpost to UC)  
• Understand the prescribed changes in circumstances which means a client must move to UC 
• Accept and verify a claim for HB where applicable  

Topics Covered 

• The Welfare system and how HB fits in
• Relationship with Universal Credit

Overview: Housing Benefit 

• What does Housing Benefit pay for?
• Who should claim Housing Benefit & who should claim Universal Credit?
• Date of claim

Overview of the Housing Benefit calculation 

• Working out rent
• Income and capital
• Household composition and Non-dependant deductions
• The calculation
• Evidence requirements

Changes in Circumstances 

• Changes to income
• Change of address
• Changes to non-dependants
• Death of the claimant
• Prescribed changes and moving to Universal Credit

Overpayments 

• How they occur and how they are classified

Who’s it for?  

The course is perfect for staff who need to have a basic understanding of Housing Benefit so that they can deal with queries and give advice. It’s ideal for Housing Association, Customer Services and Financial Assessment teams. 

How it's delivered: 

This course is delivered ‘live on-line’ with a trainer and can be accessed via a PC, Mac or Tablet. With live online, you can interact, ask questions and practice new skills – all without leaving your desk! Perfect for dispersed teams working from home.  

Pricing:  

Please get in touch for a quote if you would like to book this live online course for your organisation only.