Response 4018505

Response to request for information

Reference

4018505

Response date

8 June 2026

Request

I would like to request information held by the council relating to Exempt Accommodation (EA).

Unless specified otherwise, please provide the following information for each financial year from 2018/19 to 2025/26 inclusive, or for the latest date for which data is available.

1. Total Housing Benefit expenditure: For each financial year, please provide the total amount of Housing Benefit expenditure paid in respect of all claims that meet the definition of Exempt Accommodation under Housing Benefit regulations.
2. Number of successful claims: Please provide the number of successful Housing Benefit claims relating to residents living in Exempt Accommodation.
3. Number of exempt accommodation properties: Please provide the total number of properties being used as Exempt Accommodation within the council’s area.
4. Breakdown of provider types: For the properties identified in Question 3, please provide a breakdown by provider type, including:
   • Number of Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing)
   • Number of registered charities only
   • Number of Community Interest Companies (CICs)
   • Number of Private Limited Companies
   • Number owned by the council
   • Number classified as other provider types (please specify the type) 
5. Providers of Exempt Accommodation: Please provide a list of all organisations or individuals operating or registered as providers of Exempt Accommodation within the council’s area as of the date of this request.
6. Weekly Housing Benefit Amounts: Regarding the weekly Housing Benefit paid per resident in Exempt Accommodation, please provide for each financial year:
   • Highest weekly amount paid
   • Average weekly amount paid
   • Lowest weekly amount paid
7. Average length of stay: Please provide the average length of stay for residents living in Exempt Accommodation.
8. Assessment of new providers: Please provide details of the council’s current process for assessing new providers of Exempt Supported Accommodation before Housing Benefit payments are approved. This may include any due diligence, quality assurance, safeguarding checks, inspections, referral pathways, or standards applied.

Response

1. Total Housing Benefit expenditure: For each financial year, please provide the total amount of Housing Benefit expenditure paid in respect of all claims that meet the definition of Exempt Accommodation under Housing Benefit regulations.
   • • 2018/19 – £1,199,503.09
     • 2019/20 – £1,178,545.30
     • 2020/21 – £1,144,010.18
     • 2021/22 – £1,195,768.36
     • 2022/23 – £1,166,031.13
     • 2023/24 – £1,339,708.58
     • 2024/25 – £2,060,940.35
     • 2025/26 – £2,358,075.87
       
2. Number of successful claims: Please provide the number of successful Housing Benefit claims relating to residents living in Exempt Accommodation.

• • • 2018/19 – 227
    • 2019/20 – 240
    • 2020/21 – 199
    • 2021/22 – 190
    • 2022/23 – 188
    • 2023/24 – 229
    • 2024/25 – 230
    • 2025/26 – 223

3. Number of exempt accommodation properties: Please provide the total number of properties being used as Exempt Accommodation within the council’s area.

• • • 2025/26 – 28 properties with numerous flats / rooms within each property.

4. Breakdown of provider types: For the properties identified in Question 3, please provide a breakdown by provider type, including:
   • Number of Registered Providers / Housing Associations (registered with the Regulator of Social Housing) - 9
   • Number of registered charities only - 1
   • Number of Community Interest Companies (CICs) -1
   • Number of Private Limited Companies - 0
   • Number owned by the council - 0
   • Number classified as other provider types (please specify the type) - 0
5. Providers of Exempt Accommodation: Please provide a list of all organisations or individuals operating or registered as providers of Exempt Accommodation within the council’s area as of the date of this request. 
6. Weekly Housing Benefit Amounts: Regarding the weekly Housing Benefit paid per resident in Exempt Accommodation, please provide for each financial year:
   • Highest weekly amount paid
   • Average weekly amount paid
   • Lowest weekly amount paid

• • • Questions 5 and 6. Please also note that the Council considers the information requested above to fall under the exemption in section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The information requested is held by the Council. However, the Council is of the view the information is commercially sensitive and having considered whether it would be in the public interest to provide you with the information has concluded that disclosing the information requested would prejudice the Council’s commercial interests and distort genuine competition resulting in the inflation of rent. I am satisfied that in all the circumstances of this case the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it in accordance with section 43(2) of the FOIA.  

7. Average length of stay: Please provide the average length of stay for residents living in Exempt Accommodation.

• • • We do not hold this information.

8. Assessment of new providers: Please provide details of the council’s current process for assessing new providers of Exempt Supported Accommodation before Housing Benefit payments are approved. This may include any due diligence, quality assurance, safeguarding checks, inspections, referral pathways, or standards applied.

• • • Initial assessment starts with the new providers completing our exempt accommodation pro-forma, followed by further checks and visits to the property.