An Introduction To HB & Council Tax Support/Reduction
An Introduction To Housing Benefit & Council Tax Support / Reduction (2-Day Workshop)
An Introduction To HB & CTS / CTR
A Two-Day Workshop for anyone requiring an introduction or refresher covering local authority-administered benefits (HB and CTR). Suitable for customer service advisers, HB assessors in need or a refresher, or other staff interested in learning about what goes on “under the hood”.
NEXT WORKSHOP:
Tuesday & Wednseday,
2nd & 3rd June, 2026.
2 x Full-Day Workshop: (9:40 - 4:30)
Workshop Fee: £545. (No VAT)
Book 3 places and receive a 4th place FREE.
AN INTRODUCTION TO HOUSING BENEFIT & COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT / REDUCTION (2 DAY WORKSHOP)
Day One will begin with a brief introduction to the UK Social Security system, showing where HB and CTR fit in. This introduction will include an overview of the fringe and discretionary entitlements administered by the Council, such as DHPs and the new Crisis Resilience Fund. We will also look at the different benefits available to pensioners and working age people, including “mixed age couples” where only one partner has reached pension age. This part of the day includes a brief lookat the “managed migration” programme that will see the last few remaining working age “legacy benefit” claimants transferred to Universal Credit. This part of the course includes the new HB rules for people moving on from temporary and supported accommodation after 14 November 2025.
Beginning in the second half of Day One, we look in more detail at HB and CTR, starting with the housing costs that are eligible to be met: rent, licence payments, service charges and unconventional homes such as boats and caravans. We also consider the rules on occupying a dwelling, including the circumstances in which someone can get benefit on two homes or receive benefit while absent from their normal home.
Day Two starts with “maximum HB” – the eligible rent for private and social sector tenants, minus non-dependant deductions where appropriate. There follows a brief summary of the HB means test calculation - the applicable amount, incomeand capital. The roll-out of Universal Credit, especially following the abolition of Tax Credits from April 2025, means that it is now relatively unusual to find a working-age HB case where the Council is required to carry out a full means-test calculation - most working-age HB claimants in temporary and supported housing receive UC for their living costs, and there are the remaining ESA(ir) claimants who have yet to migrate to UC. But many pensioners have income that the Council needs to account for, so we will summarise the way the means test works mainly for pensioners and those mixed age couples who are subject to pensioner means-testing rules.
Day Two continues with the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, highlighting similarities and differences between CTR and HB. (For in-house courses, this part of the course will feature details of the local area working age CTR scheme.)
Finally, we will look at the administrative processes around HB and CTR - claims, liaison with DWP, changes of circumstance, backdating, payment (including direct payment of HB to landlords), overpayments and some basic advice for giving to people who may wish to make an appeal.
Note: The programme is indicative and is subject to change to reflect any recent rule reflect changes and the needs of specific groups or organisations. Further one-day Training Workshops are also available which can cover specific or more complex issues in more depth – e.g. Submitting Appeals, HB Subsidy Awareness, Overpayments, Claims From Persons Arriving From Overseas, etc.
Presented by Peter Barker. A hugely experienced trainer, appeals presenter, and submission writer.
_________________________________________________________________________
It is only possible to very briefly cover Universal Credit on this 2-Day Workshop.
We also offer a one-day stand-alone ‘Introduction to Universal Credit’ Workshop:- Who qualifies, how it’s calculated (including the rules about earnings from employment or self-employment), work seeking conditionality and managing an online claim. This is a stand-alone day which can be booked by anyone working in benefits as an in-house Workshop just for their own organisation, but it also works as an optional third day following on from the programme described above. See our web site for full details.
We also offer a 2-Day Workshop - "An Introduction To Welfare Benefits":- This provides an introduction or refresher covering local authority-administered benefits (but less time on HB and CTR/CTS), together with an overview of the wider Social Security system. See our web page for full details.
In-House Workshop Required?
are always pleased to arrange most of our Workshops, such as this one, for staff from an individual organisation to be held at their own training venue (currently only in London and the South East) or by Zoom/TEAMS. Please email us with your requirements for details.