Housing Benefit For Benefit Assessors
Why choose this course?
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Learn the fundamentals of the Housing Benefit assessment process – from making a claim, calculating entitlement and awarding benefit, through to changing and ending awards and recovering overpaid benefit.
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Perfect as an induction for new benefit staff who require an intensive and thorough grounding in the main areas of Housing Benefit legislation and best practice.
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Ideal as a refresher course for more experienced benefit staff who want to update their knowledge.
Course Outline
This course has proven to be an extremely effective induction course for new benefits staff. It covers the main areas of HB legislation and administrative best practice, including local housing allowance, rent allowance and overpayments, plus a basic overview of Welfare Benefits and Discretionary schemes. The course is supported by group discussion, practical exercises at the end of each module and a desk aid.
Learning objectives:
By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:
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Describe how and where customers can claim Housing Benefit
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Explain when HB can be paid on two homes and where the claimant is temporarily absent from their home.
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Clarify how to work out the ‘date of claim’ and the date that entitlement should start
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Explain how to work out the eligible rent and the maximum rent for HB purposes
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State how to work out if a household is ‘under-occupying’ the dwelling and how to reduce their HB entitlement
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Describe how to calculate the claimant’s capital and income that should be used in the assessment
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Explain how and when to apply a non-dependant deduction • Explain how to work out a claimant’s applicable amount
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Manually calculate Rent Rebate, Rent Allowance, Local Housing Allowance
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State the difference between a ‘revision’ and a ‘supersession’
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Explain the significance of correctly classifying HB overpayments
Content over the five days:
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Data Protection
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State Benefits
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Making a claim
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Date of claim
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Occupation and Liability
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Rent
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Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy
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Capital
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Income
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Household and applicable amounts
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Evidence and supporting information
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Final calculation of benefits
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Payment of HB / LHA
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Suspending Payments
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Change in circumstances
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Overpayments of benefit
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Decisions, notifications and appeals
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Fraud
Learning, Teaching & Assessment
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.
