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correspondence addresses

Dan_Manville
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Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

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How do

Wondering if anyone’s any experience of this…

Clinet uses a correspondence address in Wolverhampton yet their principle dwelling is a caravan in Wales. HB claimed and the authority are insisting that claimant change their ESA claim address to the caravan site.

I can find no statutory authority for that and have written saying as much but I suspect there is some kind of software requirement that DWP’s address matches the LAs.

Ideas for a work around would be appreciated.

chacha
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Benefits dept - Hertsmere Borough Council

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Dan Manville - 14 September 2015 11:52 AM

I can find no statutory authority for that and have written saying as much but I suspect there is some kind of software requirement that DWP’s address matches the LAs.

They have absolutely no right, or power, to do that, I would probably put in a complaint. If they have everything they need to determine the claim then they should do so.

Dan_Manville
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Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

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chacha - 14 September 2015 12:14 PM
Dan Manville - 14 September 2015 11:52 AM

I can find no statutory authority for that and have written saying as much but I suspect there is some kind of software requirement that DWP’s address matches the LAs.

They have absolutely no right, or power, to do that, I would probably put in a complaint. If they have everything they need to determine the claim then they should do so.

I won’t complain yet.I’ll see what the response is to my “no statutory authority” suggestion first.

PandaNBTA
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National Bargee Travellers Association, Reading

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We get this situation a lot Dan and as far as I know have challenged the LA by complaining and re-stating /explaining the facts rather than anything else. You have our contact details if you need them…

Dan_Manville
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Mental health & welfare rights service - Wolverhampton City Council

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PandaNBTA - 09 October 2015 12:15 AM

We get this situation a lot Dan and as far as I know have challenged the LA by complaining and re-stating /explaining the facts rather than anything else. You have our contact details if you need them…

S’okay, I looked to my boating ken and came up with the following…


I can find no statutory requirement that a correspondence address be that of the address of the dwelling for which a claim for Housing Benefit is assessed.

Authority can be found for the contrary position; that a correspondence address need not be the same as the dwelling address in CH/318/2005 & R(H)9/08, both decisions that involved boat dwellers. In those cases the dwellings concerned could not have provided the address of the dwelling as the dwellings were not residential addresses, however the difference of address was neither argued to be relevant nor raised as a factor by the presiding Judges. In CH/318/2005 the dwelling did not have a permanent mooring so it was plainly impossible that an address was specified for the dwelling, however it was held that Housing Benefit was potentially payable for the boat in question.

That worked! Might come in handy…