Long Term Housing Ben.UK scrappage of reviews?

Hallo To anyone who knows what Im on about..when you claim long term housing benfit from a local council they used(about 10 years ago)to review the claim every year by sending out a form that claimants had to fill in confirming they were still eligible.
OK I dont know about all councils but in more recent years this review seems to have been scrapped-at least perhaps for some cases.
What I would like to know is was this scrapping a National UK Policy Legal decision or is it just some councils managing efficiency?
What it results in is Long Term Housing Benefit Claiments being left on Long Term HB
for years on end with never any contact between them and the Town Hall.
This is good for claiments but one must suspect that it doesnt do anything to make fraud less likely which is why I cant understand the thinking behind it.
Which Councils still do annual reviews of all their HB claims?

Jim wrote:

Hallo To anyone who knows what Im on about..when you claim long term housing benfit from a local council they used(about 10 years ago)to review the claim every year by sending out a form that claimants had to fill in confirming they were still eligible.
OK I dont know about all councils but in more recent years this review seems to have been scrapped-at least perhaps for some cases.
What I would like to know is was this scrapping a National UK Policy Legal decision or is it just some councils managing efficiency?
What it results in is Long Term Housing Benefit Claiments being left on Long Term HB
for years on end with never any contact between them and the Town Hall.
This is good for claiments but one must suspect that it doesnt do anything to make fraud less likely which is why I cant understand the thinking behind it.
Which Councils still do annual reviews of all their HB claims?

Hi,

I have a very close friend who works for a large local authority in the Housing Benefit/Local Housing Allowance
and Council Tax Benefits department. From what she says, they have a job keeping pace with 'new' claims let alone reviewing existing claims.

The onus to report any change of circumstances which may/may not affect Housing/Council Tax Benefit/Local Housing Allowance rests with the claimant though. Whenever a claimant reports a change of circumstances, or the benefit is recalculated due to increases in other benefits, then when the resultant re-calculation is sent to the claimant, it is accompanied by a detailed letter which reinforces the message that claimants must report any change of circumstances and that it is a criminal offence to claim benefit to which one is not entitled.

The Housing Benefit Fraud unit do follow up on cases where doubt as to the authenticity of claims occurs and use various methods to detect cases where fraud occurs.

Pete

Hi Pete,Fine.Sorry you are struggling to cope.We are not frausters BTW.Can I suggest you "dumb up"the quality of yur HB counter staff?
This could be done by recruiting more counter staff with A levels who have been to University.
And dropping selective recruitment procedures which are handicapping you.
Good Luck,
jim

I think that you have misread what Pete wrote. He is not saying that he works for a local authority or that he manages a housing benefit team. If you feel that your local authority is not providing a proper service, I suggest that you complain to them directly or take the matter up with a local councillor.