Can I request information about my LHA tenants from the Council?

Hi Allan,

You may have dreamt it, but Mark and I don't honestly know the answer to this one.

If readers can help it may be useful to know what information you want and why.

Hi Allan

You need a "form of authorisation" (I have one I can e-mail you) and this will allow the HB Dept to tell you about the person's HB claim, e.g. cause of delays, etc. However, it does not override the Data Protection legislation so the HB Dept will be wary about giving you any other type of information.

Reply to the comment left by "Robert Mellors" at "16/07/2014 - 16:03":

Very helpful thanks Robert.

If you email it to me I will make sure Allan gets it 🙂

Ooops npatterson@property118.com

Hi Neil

The form has been e-mailed to you.

Reply to the comment left by "Robert Mellors" at "16/07/2014 - 16:17":

Thanks Robert 🙂

A lot of depends on what the tenant puts on their forms, we make sure they agree to allow us to ring up and discuss their claim, but you still get data protection this and data protection that spouted at you. I also find it depends on who you speak to, some people are more helpful than others.

As a policy I get all new tenants to sign two copies of a letter of authorisation whether they be receiving benefit or not- who knows when they may lose their job or their income decrease?

I also include two clauses in the tenancy agreement stating that I have the authorisation to discuss and that if they ever start to claim hb that they will inform me.

I take the authorisation letters posting one to the council myself and keeping one on file. If they ever get into a dispute with you they can retract the authorisation they initially agreed to in pure spite which does not help them. Sending in the second copy later on sorts this out.

This is an essential document as far as I am concerned- many of my tenants do not have the ability to deal with the authorities properly. I can discuss issues with hb and then assist the tenants. The vast majority of my tenants appreciate this service I offer them which is above and beyond my remit.

It does not have to be a special form- just a letter signed by them that says you have their consent to discuss

I actually bought these in for the whole of the UK 16 years ago. I had to take it all the way up to Government level. Years ago, there was no option to talk to the Council, or any permission letter.

You could ring the Council up & say ‘Have you got the benefit form?’ They’d say ‘Not telling you’.

I’d say ‘No, please listen, I POSTED THE FORM in the letterbox, just need to know if you’ve received it’. They’d say ‘Not telling you’. Used to drive me nuts, so I did some’at about it.

Or I’d ring up & say ‘What do you need?’ They wouldn’t tell me. Tenant would go to phone box in pouring rain, spend £10 queuing ringing up, HB would say ‘We need proof of your Income Support’ Tenant would say ‘Why couldn’t you ask me landlord that’. HB would say ‘You might not want your landlord to know you are on Income support’. AAAAHhhhhh, why would I be ringing up HB in the first place? It’s obvious I know they are on benefits, as I am ringing Housing BENEFIT up. AAahhh.... So again, I took this Council to Ombudsman.

I’ve took local several authorities to the Ombudsman on this & won every time, so much so that I have a Chief Exec’s direct line & email, but I only use maybe once a year when the normal staff ain’t playing ball, ‘cause what happens is, new staff come straight in out college & oblige pure non common sense & follow data protection to the law & don’t progress the claim forward.

Now, most councils have a tick on their box to say ‘Talk to Landlord’, but most councils interpret that as VERY BASIC stuff only ie. when the payment to you is coming. So yes do fill in the basic letter, but I will send Neil my very detailed letter which more or less tells the council you can ask what colour pants they are wearing if you wish, but I say to tenants, not interested in your pants at all, just want this HB cheque coming & we have to sign this, so they will talk to me about ANYTHING.
If the local council don’t oblige by the permission letter, go to the Ombudsman & wake ‘em up.

Neil, I’m gonna’ send u a quick draft I sent my mate the other day, can you just forward on ONE page of it.

I've also forwarded the standard council one to Neil if you don't feel comfortable signing the detailed one. It'll let the council talk to u a 'tiny' bit.

I've only had one tenant I think not want to sign my detailed one. I said fine, you deal with the council then. 2-3 weeks later, they came back to me & said can we sign your permission letter, we getting nowhere with the council.

Reply to the comment left by "Mick Roberts" at "17/07/2014 - 07:49":

Will do many thanks Mick 🙂