Housing Benefit for Ex-Offenders - Hostels - MAPPA

This might be a very specialized request for advice however please can anyone advise me that when offenders released from prison are placed in hostel accommodation upon the direction and supervision of MAPPA and the National Probation Service, are the ex-offenders required to claim housing benefit to pay towards the accommodation and also are they subject to paying ‘top-ups’ if the housing benefit claimed (if eligible) does not cover the full rental charge. Or are such clients exempt from having to claim HB and/or contribute to their accommodation costs etc. Many thanks.

It really depends on what type of accommodation your client is occupying, if your client is in Approved Premises (still often referred to as a bail hostel)  they will not be eligible for HB.

If your client is in a homeless hostel then they will be treated as identical to other residents. It will most probably be supported exempt so they will be subject to these Byzantine rules. They will end up paying for their meals, and non eligibe services, but even if its a high rent it will be paid by HB.

If your client is moving to private there are certain exemptions for high level MAPPAS which mean that despite being under 35 (but over 25!) they still can claim the one bedroom rate rather than the shared accommodation rate. 

“A second exemption applies to people 25 or over who are subject to active multi-agency management under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). You may hear the term ’a MAPPA client’ or ‘under MAPPA’. It will apply to people who are under MAPPA Level 2 or MAPPA Level 3 (more detail below). In the parts of Scotland where MAPPA is not fully in force an assessment is required in order to establish those individuals who are considered to be equivalent to level 2 and 3 cases.”

http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Crisis and Holmeless Link joint SAR Q&A update.pdf

If your client is MAPPA you really need to seek the permision of the chair, or the offender manager, before rehousing them, as many are subject to conditions, in terms of location or accomodation type. The riules around confidentiality are very strict.

Many thanks for the input.

It really depends on what type of accommodation your client is occupying, if your client is in Approved Premises (still often referred to as a bail hostel)  they will not be eligible for HB.

I don’t suppose you know the actual Act and section or DWP guidance for this!

No sorry, the thinking is something like that a AP it is not a offenders primary residence but someone where the offender is placed (not custody ) that provides for additional protection for the public.

In fact stay at an AP does not even constitute towards time in a hostel for the three month hostel exempton SAR.

Good luck challenging this.

Are you referring to reg 7(5) in the HB regs?

Many thanks for inputs.