Housing Benefit processing delays cause poverty

Some of the worst local authorities take more than five months to
process housing benefit claims – five times longer than the best
performers.

Government figures show that 17 local authorities are taking more
than 100 days to process housing benefit claims.

The worst performers include Hackney, east London, taking 166 days
and Breckland in Norfolk taking 140 days. In contrast, West
Somerset takes 16 days and South Derbyshire only 13.

The government has set a target of 14 days for issuing decisions on
housing benefit claims in which all the information has been
supplied.

The Homelessness Sunday Partnership, which is targeting poverty
caused by delays in receiving housing benefit, has written to MPs
to highlight the problem.