From temp accomodation to normal tenancy with no UC entitlement

Hi guys,

Would be really grateful for your thoughts.

I’ve got a client who was in temp accomodation and applied for HB for the first time in said temp accommodation. Applied for UC at the time but not entitled due to income. They have now moved into a ‘standard’ tenancy. Can HB continue by itself, even though it only went into payment on the basis of it being temp accommodation? i.e. can it ‘cope’ with a change of circs.  They are marginally better off on UC but want to give them the option.

Thoughts gratefully received.

Yes: new HB claims are prevented in general needs accommodation but this isn’t a new claim; and HB terminates at the point wen UC is claimed, unless at that time the claimant occupies temporary/specified accommodation.  That moment passed when your client claimed UC, unless a further UC claim is made there is no reason for HB to terminate now.

Thanks so much. Just for completeness - if they had claimed UC successfully at that point then the new housing costs would be swallowed back into UC because there’s no reason to maintain the separate HB claim outside of temp accommodation?