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Specified accommodation

Ruth Knox
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Vauxhall Law Centre

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I am looking at accommodation which falls into Category 2 for Specified Accommodation. That is where there is significantl support but it is not the landlord who provides or commissions it.  Most adults needing support will be receiving it from the Local Authority Adult Social Care budget (probably but not always through outsourcing).  I can’t see anything in the legislation to exclude Local Authority provision/commission from Category 2, but 2018 to 2019 CPAG (I’m at home without access to this year’s) says that in these circumstances “the decision maker is likely to say it is not exempt accommodation”.  Can anyone shed any light on this?

HB Anorak
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Benefits consultant/trainer - hbanorak.co.uk, East London

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Specified yes, exempt no … unless the landlord has a complementary support role that is more than minimal. 

Specified means:

- HB rather than UC
- No benefit cap

Exempt then further means:

- No automatic restriction of eligible rent.

Being exempt as well as specified is of critical importance to charities and voluntary organisations because otherwise they are limited to LHA.  Doesn’t matter as much to registered providers as their full rent is usually covered anyway.

[ Edited: 2 Jun 2020 at 10:09 am by HB Anorak ]
Ruth Knox
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Oh, yes, I can see that now!  I just read it too quickly and jumped to the conclusion that it could not be specified.
On a slightly different question I don’t quite understand though, the reasoning behind why having a Metropolitan Local Authority as landlord always excluded “exempt accommodation” and now also excludes “managed accommodation”.  My own Local Authority has no council housing now at the minute, so it’s theoretical, but there must be a rationale somewhere for the exclusion. Can you shed any light on this?

Charles
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Accountant, Haffner Hoff Ltd, Manchester

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See here. (Probably my favourite thread on Rightsnet!)

Ruth Knox
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Vauxhall Law Centre

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Total Posts: 551

Joined: 27 January 2014

Charles - 02 June 2020 12:16 PM

See here. (Probably my favourite thread on Rightsnet!)

This is fascinating - I find the bits about non-metropolitan and unitary authorities hard to follow, but will try to get my head round it all.