Rutland County Council telephone: 01572 722 577 Catmose fax: 01572 758 307 Oakham email: [email protected] Rutland web: www.rutland.gov.uk LE15 6HP
15 March 2021
330/21 - FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
Dear Sir/Madam
Your request for information has now been considered and the information requested is provided below.
Request:
Freedom of Information Request: policy and practice documents concerning housing affordability assessments. We write to request certain information from your authority’s housing department, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). We would like to request copies of all your authority’s documents currently in use relating to how housing officers assess whether a household’s last settled accommodation was affordable for them, when they present in need of housing advice and assistance.
The Request 1. Please can you send us copies of all documents currently used by your housing officers to conduct these housing affordability assessments (such as guidance notes, briefings, training sessions and template forms). If any of these documents are already in the public domain, please can you send a link to where we can retrieve these exact documents? These documents could include (but not be limited to):
(a) Guidance for housing officers on how to carry out affordability assessments;
(b) Training materials on how to assess affordability; (c) Template income and expenditure forms; (d) Details of what costs are regarded as essential living needs; and (e) Costs of essential living needs, for different family types, used in affordability assessments. 2. If not included in the above documents, please can you send us the following information: (a) A list of items that are regarded as essential living needs, for the purpose of assessing affordability; and
(b) A list of costs of essential living needs, for different family types, that are used for the purpose of assessing affordability.
Response:
Rutland County Council’s Housing Options Team signpost our clients to Citizens Advice for affordability assessments. We do not do them in the team.
You are free to use any documents supplied for your own use, including for non- commercial research purposes. The documents may also be used for news reporting. However, any other type of re-use, for example by publishing the documents or issuing copies to the public will require the permission of the copyright owner, where copyright exists. Such a request would be considered separately in accordance with the relevant Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 and is not automatic. Therefore, no permission is implied in the re-use of this information, until such a request to re-use it has been made and agreed, subject to any appropriate conditions. Any request to re-use the information should be made to me at the address below.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request please contact the Data Protection Officer, Rutland County Council, Catmose, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6HP You can also complain to the Information Commissioner at:
The Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House, Water lane Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Tel: 01625 545700
Yours faithfully
FOI Administrator Business Support Team Rutland County Council
By email to the Local Authorities listed in the Annex London Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP 100 Bishopsgate London EC2P 2SR T +44 20 7936 4000 (Switchboard) F +44 20 7785 2251 (Direct) LDE No 23 www.freshfields.com
Doc ID LON60476067/2 Our Ref 140651-0022
11 March 2021
Dear Sir / Madam
Freedom of Information Request: policy and practice documents concerning housing affordability assessments
We act for Shelter, National Campaign for Homeless People Limited (registered charity number 263710 (England and Wales) and SC002327 (Scotland)) (Shelter), in relation to its training, policy and research activities, as well as targeted litigation related to homelessness. We write to request certain information from your authority’s housing department, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). We would like to request copies of all your authority’s documents currently in use relating to how housing officers assess whether a household’s last settled accommodation was affordable for them, when they present in need of housing advice and assistance. We believe that the information requested does not fall under any of the exemptions set out in the Act. We therefore hope that the information can be provided within the 20 working days stipulated in the Act, i.e. by no later than close of business on Monday, 12 April 2021. We would be grateful if you could send the information sooner than this, if possible. The Request
1. Please can you send us copies of all documents currently used by your housing officers to conduct these housing affordability assessments (such as guidance notes, briefings, training sessions and template forms). If any of these documents are already in the public domain, please can you send a link to where we can retrieve these exact documents? These documents could include (but not be limited to):
(a) Guidance for housing officers on how to carry out affordability assessments;
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC334789. It is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 484861). For further regulatory information please refer to www.freshfields.com/support/legal- notice. A list of the members (and of the non-members who are designated as ‘partners’) of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is available for inspection at its registered office, 100 Bishopsgate, London EC2P 2SR. Any reference to a ‘partner’ means a member, or a consultant or employee with equivalent standing and qualifications, of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP or any associated firms or entities.
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(b) Training materials on how to assess affordability; (c) Template income and expenditure forms; (d) Details of what costs are regarded as essential living needs; and (e) Costs of essential living needs, for different family types, used in affordability assessments.
2. If not included in the above documents, please can you send us the following information:
(a) A list of items that are regarded as essential living needs, for the purpose of assessing affordability; and
(b) A list of costs of essential living needs, for different family types, that are used for the purpose of assessing affordability. Please share your authority’s information excluding any information which could be considered personal information under the Data Protection Act 2018. This information will be used for Shelter’s research and work around homelessness during COVID-19. The research will help us and Shelter to understand the different ways that local authorities are responding to the current situation and to help influence national policy. Exemptions As set out above, we consider that the information requested does not fall under any of the exemptions set out in the Act. However, we understand that the one exemption that might be considered by you to apply to this request in whole or in part is that described in section 12(1) – 12(4) of the Act, which state that “the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit”. Without prejudice to our client’s position on this issue, if the authority does refuse the request by relying on section 12 of the Act, we respectfully ask that it comply with the Information Commissioner’s advice and confirm whether or not this information is held by the authority. Should you have any concerns about this request, we respectfully ask that you consider your duty “to provide advice and assistance” under section 16 of the Act. We also note that the Information Commissioner’s advice states that “a public authority should consider in these circumstances how it can provide advice and assistance to help an applicant narrow, reform or refocus their request”. About us and Shelter As you may be aware, Shelter is a charity that provides legal and practice advice, support and services to millions of people every year struggling with poor housing or homelessness. Shelter’s work also involves training, policy and research activities in relation to homelessness and poor housing. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is an international law firm. Our London office supports Shelter in its work in relation to homeless or inadequately housed people and their families.
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Responses We and Shelter are grateful for your support in responding to this request. Please send your response by email to: [email protected].
Yours faithfully
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
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Annex
Adur District Council Allerdale Borough Council Amber Valley Borough Council Arun District Council Ashfield District Council Ashford Borough Council Babergh District Council Barking & Dagenham, London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Barnsley Borough Council Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council Basildon District Council Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council Bassetlaw District Council Bath & North East Somerset Council Bedford Borough Council Bexley, London Borough of Birmingham City Council Blaby District Council Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Blackpool Council Bolsover District Council Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Boston Borough Council Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Bracknell Forest Council Bradford Metropolitan Council Braintree District Council Breckland District Council Brent, London Borough of Brentwood Borough Council Brighton and Hove City Council Bristol City Council Broadland District Council Bromley, London Borough of Bromsgrove District Council Broxbourne Council Broxtowe Borough Council Buckinghamshire Council Burnley Borough Council Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Calderdale Cambridge City Council Camden, London Borough of Cannock Chase District Council Canterbury City Council
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Carlisle City Council Castle Point Central Bedfordshire Council Charnwood Borough Council Chelmsford Borough Council Cheltenham Borough Council Cherwell District Council Cheshire East Cheshire West and Chester Chesterfield Borough Council Chichester District Council Chorley Borough Council City of London Corporation City of Westminster City of York Colchester Borough Council Copeland Borough Council Corby Borough Council Cornwall Council Cotswold District Council Council of the Isles of Scilly Coventry City Council Craven District Council Crawley Borough Council Croydon, London Borough of Dacorum Borough Council Darlington Borough Council Dartford Borough Council Daventry District Council Derby City Council Derbyshire Dales Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Dorset Counsil Dover District Council Dudley Metropolitan Borough Durham County Council Ealing, London Borough of East Cambridgeshire East Devon East Hampshire District Council East Hertfordshire East Lindsey District Council East Northamptonshire Council East Riding of Yorkshire Council East Staffordshire Borough Council East Suffolk Eastbourne Council Eastleigh Borough Council
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Eden District Council Elmbridge Borough Council Enfield, London Borough of Epping Forest District Council Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Erewash Borough Exeter City Fareham Borough Council Fenland District Council Folkestone and Hythe District Council Forest of Dean District Council Fylde Borough Council Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council Gedling Borough Council Gloucester City Council Gosport Borough Council Gravesham Borough Council Great Yarmouth Borough Council Greenwich, London Borough of Guildford Borough Council Hackney, London Borough of Halton Borough Council Hambleton Hammersmith & Fulham, London Borough of Harborough District Council Haringey, London Borough of Harlow Council Harrogate Borough Council Harrow, London Borough of Hart District Council Hartlepool Borough Council Hastings Borough Council Havant District Council Havering, London Borough of Herefordshire Council Hertsmere Borough Council High Peak Borough Hillingdon, London Borough of Hinckley & Bosworth District Council Horsham District Council Hounslow, London Borough of Hull City Council Huntingdonshire District Council Hyndburn Borough Council Ipswich Borough Council Isle of Wight Council Islington, London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Royal Borough of
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Kettering Borough Council King's Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Lambeth, London Borough of Lancaster City Council Leeds City Council Leicester City Council Lewes District Council Lewisham, London Borough of Lichfield District Council Lincoln City Council Liverpool City Council Luton Borough Council Maidstone Borough Council Maldon District Council Malvern Hills District Council Manchester City Council Mansfield District Council Medway Council Melton Borough Council Mendip District Council Merton, London Borough of Mid Devon District Council Mid Suffolk District Council Mid Sussex District Council Middlesbrough Borough Council Milton Keynes Council Mole Valley Council New Forest District Council Newark and Sherwood District Council Newcastle upon Tyne City Council Newcastle-under-Lyme Council Newham, London Borough of North Devon District Council North East Derbyshire North East Lincolnshire Council North Hertfordshire District Council North Kesteven District Council North Lincolnshire Council North Norfolk District Council North Somerset Council North Tyneside Council North Warwickshire Borough Council North West Leicestershire Northampton Borough Council Northumberland County Council Norwich City Council
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Nottingham City Council Nuneaton & Bedworth Oadby & Wigston District Council Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Oxford City Council Pendle Borough Council Peterborough City Council Plymouth City Council Portsmouth City Council Preston City Council Reading Borough Council Redbridge, London Borough of Redcar and Cleveland Redditch Borough Council Reigate and Banstead Borough Council Ribble Valley Borough Council Richmond upon Thames, London Borough of Richmondshire Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Rochford District Council Rossendale Rother District Council Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Rugby Borough Council Runnymede Borough Council Rushcliffe Council Rushmoor Borough Council Rutland County Council Ryedale District Council Salford City Council Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Scarborough Borough Council Sedgemoor District Council Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council Selby Sevenoaks District Council Sheffield City Council Shepway District Council Shropshire Council Slough Borough Council Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Somerset West and Taunton South Cambridgeshire South Derbyshire South Gloucestershire District Council South Hams District Council
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South Holland South Kesteven South Lakeland District Council South Norfolk South Northamptonshire South Oxfordshire District Council South Ribble Borough Council South Somerset District Council South Staffordshire South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council Southampton City Council Southend-on-Sea Council Southwark, London Borough of Spelthorne Borough Council St Albans City & District Council St Helens Borough Council Stafford Borough Council Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Stevenage Borough Council Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Stoke-on-Trent City Council Stratford-on-Avon Stroud District Council Sunderland City Council Surrey Heath Borough Council Sutton, London Borough of Swale Borough Council Swindon Borough Council Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Tamworth Borough Council Tandridge District Council Teignbridge District Council Telford & Wrekin Council Tendring District Council Test Valley Borough Council Tewkesbury Borough Council Thanet District Council Three Rivers District Council Thurrock Council Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Torbay Council Torridge District Council Tower Hamlets, London Borough of Trafford Council Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Uttlesford District Council Vale of White Horse District Council
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Wakefield City Metropolitan District Council Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Waltham Forest, London Borough of Wandsworth, London Borough of Warrington Council Warwick District Council Watford Borough Council Waverley Borough council Wealden District Council Wellingborough Welwyn Hatfield Council West Berkshire Council West Devon Borough Council West Lancashire District Council West Lindsey West Oxfordshire West Suffolk Wigan Metropolitan Borough Wiltshire Council Winchester City Council Wirral Metropolitan Borough Woking Borough Council Wokingham Council Wolverhampton City Council Worcester City Council Worthing Borough Council Wychavon District Council Wyre Borough Council Wyre Forest District Council
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