Managing Housing Benefit Claims in Supported Housing | Part E: Tools and Appendices
This appendix turns Chapter 14 into two working checklists for individual claims:
- Part A, the provider version: what to keep on each tenant’s file, and when to send it.
- Part B, the council version: the questions the Housing Benefit team answers for each claim, where to look first, and what a proportionate answer looks like.
Part C is a one-page cover sheet for a new claim. As in Appendix 4, both parties use the same item numbers.
How to use the checklists.
- Scheme first, then the claimant. Questions that have the same answer for every tenant, such as landlord status, the support model and the rent build-up, belong on the scheme file (Appendix 4). This checklist covers only what is specific to the tenant.
- Short and specific. The core file is short: referral, needs assessment, support plan, tenancy or licence, and a record that support is delivered. Most of it should already exist as part of good practice.
- Proportionate. The test applies to each claimant’s dwelling, but where needs and support are broadly similar, proportionate evidence will do (CH/1289/2007, paras 27 to 30; Chapter 8, 8.4).
- Existing records. Councils should ask for the records that exist, not new documents in a prescribed form (Chapter 14, 14.2).
- Indicators are not requirements. PIP, a care package, probation involvement or a professional assessment can support a claim. Their absence is not evidence of no need (DWP guidance, para 147).
- Data minimisation. Share summaries and extracts, not whole files, with the tenant’s written authority (Chapter 12, 12.6).
- Standard claim evidence. Identity, National Insurance number, income and capital are verified under the council’s normal policy and are not covered here.
- SHP’s position. Claimant-level evidence should be specific to the tenant, proportionate to the decision, and drawn from records the provider keeps anyway.
Part A: Provider version (claimant evidence file)
Tick each item as it is placed on the tenant’s file. Items marked “On request” are kept, not sent with every claim.
A1. At referral and move-in
| No. | Item | What to include | Send | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1.1 | Intention to claim | Help the tenant notify the intention to claim, or make the claim, on the day they move in, to protect the date of claim (regulation 83(5); Chapter 18, 18.2) | Day of move-in | ☐ |
| A1.2 | Written authority | The tenant’s signed authority for the provider to deal with the claim and share information, and appointee details where relevant | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.3 | Referral | Who referred the tenant, when, why supported housing was needed, and any information shared about needs or risks (Chapter 14, 14.1) | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.4 | Self-referral record | For a self-referral only: the emergency or “hard to reach” reason, and confirmation that it was accepted and notified under the council-approved referrals framework | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.5 | Needs assessment | The provider’s structured assessment by trained staff, or a third-party assessment: needs and risks in plain terms, why this accommodation and support are suitable, who assessed and when (Appendix 6) | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.6 | Third-party indicators | Where available: confirmation or summary of PIP or other disability benefit, council or NHS funding, probation involvement, care or treatment plans, or a personalised housing plan. Not required | Where available | ☐ |
| A1.7 | Support plan | Each need and what will be done about it, by whom and how often, including intensive housing management, maintenance and on-call supervision where relied on, outcomes and a review date (Appendix 6) | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.8 | Tenancy or licence | Signed agreement showing the parties, property, start date, rent and each service charge, matching the scheme build-up (Chapter 14, 14.5) | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.9 | Capacity | Where the tenant may lack capacity: how liability arises, and any deputy, appointee or best interests decision (Wychavon DC v EM) | Where relevant | ☐ |
| A1.10 | Direct payment request | Where payment to the provider is sought: the reason, such as the tenant’s vulnerability or difficulty managing money (Chapter 18, 18.3) | With the claim | ☐ |
| A1.11 | Two homes or pre-move liability | Where rent is due before move-in or for two homes: dates and why the liability could not reasonably be avoided (regulation 7) | Where relevant | ☐ |
A2. During the tenancy
| No. | Item | What to include | Send | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2.1 | Summary activity record | The nature and frequency of support for the period in question, not minute-by-minute logs (Appendix 7) | On request | ☐ |
| A2.2 | Support plan reviews | Dated reviews showing progress and changes in need | On request | ☐ |
| A2.3 | Supervision and on-call record | A summary of call-outs and interventions affecting the tenant, and the cover arrangements (Chapter 15, 15.5) | On request | ☐ |
| A2.4 | Rent increase notice | The new rent and charges for the tenant, sent before the increase takes effect (Chapter 18, 18.4) | Before the increase | ☐ |
A3. Changes, absence and leaving
| No. | Item | What to include | Send | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A3.1 | Temporary absence | Start date, reason, expected length and whether the tenant intends to return; hospital, custody and fear of violence cases may qualify for up to 52 weeks (regulation 7) | Promptly | ☐ |
| A3.2 | Change in need or support | A significant change, such as support ending or the tenant no longer needing it, with the move-on plan (Chapter 14, 14.7) | Promptly | ☐ |
| A3.3 | Leaving date | The date the tenant left, abandoned the property, moved within the scheme or died, as soon as it is known. The provider shares the duty to report (regulation 88(1)) | As soon as known | ☐ |
| A3.4 | Move-on support | Help the tenant claim housing costs in their new home, and record what was done | On leaving | ☐ |
Part B: Council version (claim review)
Answer each question from the claim, the scheme file and the council’s own records. Record the outcome as Met, Query (with the question raised) or N/A. Raise all queries in one request that explains why information already held is not enough (Chapter 12, 12.4; Appendix 9).
B1. Is the claimant liable, and from when? (Chapters 14 and 18)
| Ref | Question | Look first | File items | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1.1 | Is the claimant liable to the landlord named on the scheme file, under a tenancy or licence (regulations 7 and 8; para 94)? | Scheme file | A1.8 | |
| B1.2 | Where the claimant lacks capacity, does liability arise for necessary accommodation (Wychavon DC v EM)? | Adult social care records | A1.9 | |
| B1.3 | Do the charges in the agreement match the scheme build-up? | Scheme file (Appendix 4, A4.1) | A1.8 | |
| B1.4 | What is the date of claim, and is there good cause for any backdating request? | Claim record | A1.1 | |
| B1.5 | Should payment be made direct to the provider (Chapter 18, 18.3)? | Claim; safeguarding records | A1.10 |
B2. Does the claimant need care, support or supervision? (Chapters 8 and 14)
| Ref | Question | Look first | File items | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2.1 | Was the referral appropriate, and why was supported housing needed (para 149)? | Housing options and commissioning records | A1.3 | |
| B2.2 | For a self-referral: was it an emergency or a “hard to reach” case, accepted within the council-approved referrals framework? | Housing options notification log | A1.4 | |
| B2.3 | Is there an assessment of actual or potential need by someone suitably qualified, which can be the landlord (paras 142 to 145)? | Provider’s assessment | A1.5 | |
| B2.4 | If there is no formal assessment, how will the council evidence need, bearing in mind that this does not mean there is no need (para 147)? | Council’s own records | A1.5, A1.6 | |
| B2.5 | Are there third-party indicators? Public funding is “a reasonable indication” of need (para 148), but none is required | Adult social care, housing options | A1.6 |
B3. Is support provided to this claimant? (Chapters 8 and 15)
| Ref | Question | Look first | File items | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B3.1 | Is there a support plan linked to the claimant’s needs, completed for the individual even if it follows a common structure (CH/1289/2007, paras 29 and 30)? | Provider’s plan | A1.7 | |
| B3.2 | Is support in fact provided, and is it more than minimal, judged on its substance with no set number of hours (para 151; R(H) 6/08)? | Scheme file and any sample results | A2.1 to A2.3 | |
| B3.3 | Can delivery be checked through scheme-level sampling rather than records for this claim (CH/1289/2007, para 32)? | Scheme review records | A2.1 |
B4. Changes and leaving (Chapters 14, 18 and 21)
| Ref | Question | Look first | File items | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B4.1 | Does a temporary absence qualify, and for how long (regulation 7)? | Claim record | A3.1 | |
| B4.2 | Has need reduced? Support aimed at move-on is still support, and exempt status is decided on the facts at the date of the decision (CH/1289/2007, para 34) | Plan reviews | A2.2, A3.2 | |
| B4.3 | Has the tenant left, and was the change reported promptly? Consider recovery under Chapter 21 only where the overpayment is recoverable | Payment and notification records | A3.3 |
What the council should not ask for. None of the following is a legal requirement for an individual claim:
- a disability benefit, care package or professional assessment as a condition of exempt status
- a new needs assessment or support plan in a prescribed form, where the provider’s own records answer the question
- full case notes, timesheets by tenant or minute-by-minute logs
- support records with every new claim, where scheme-level sampling gives assurance
- evidence about the scheme that is already on the scheme file
- whole third-party files where a confirmation or summary will do
Part C: New claim cover sheet
The provider completes this sheet and sends it with each new claim, so that the council can see at a glance what is enclosed.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Tenant name and claim reference | |
| Scheme and address (scheme file reference) | |
| Date of move-in and date intention to claim was notified | |
| Referral route (and self-referral reason, if any) | |
| Needs assessment: who completed it and date | |
| Support plan date and review date | |
| Third-party indicators enclosed (if any) | |
| Tenancy or licence start date, rent and service charges | |
| Written authority enclosed | |
| Direct payment requested, and why | |
| Items to follow, and when | |
| Provider contact |
Previous: Appendix 4: Scheme Evidence Checklist
Next: Appendix 6: Model Needs Assessment and Support Plan
This template is licensed under CC BY 4.0: you can adapt it, with credit to SHP. See Rights and licence. Supported Housing People Ltd, Version 1.0, October 2026.