Rent Rquests
| Authority | Treasury |
|---|---|
| Date received | 2024-07-01 |
| Outcome | All information sent |
| Outcome date | 2024-07-26 |
| Case ID | 3947993 |
Summary
The request sought the number of rent direct payment requests from Douglas City Council to the Social Security Benefits Section over the last 12 months, along with details on unauthorized requests and relevant policies. The Treasury disclosed that 156 requests were received but stated it does not hold data on how many lacked claimant authorization, while citing specific regulations that allow for such payments in cases of debt.
Key Facts
- 156 requests were received from Douglas City Council for rent to be paid directly from benefits in the 12 months to 1 July 2024.
- The authority does not hold information on how many of these requests were made without the benefit claimant's authorization.
- Requests from the Council are not required to contain authorization details.
- Regulation 35 and Schedule 9 (paragraph 3) of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 allow adjudication officers to approve rent deductions without claimant authorization if the individual is in debt or likely to get into debt.
- The process is known as 'Rent Direct' and involves paying the housing cost component of a benefit award directly to a housing provider.
Data Disclosed
- 156
- 1 July 2024
- 12 months
- Regulation 35
- Schedule 9 (paragraph 3)
- Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987
- 3947993
- 2024-07-01
- 2024-07-26
Exemptions Cited
- Information not held or cannot be found after taking reasonable steps
Original Request
Can you tell how many requests by email or letter in the last 12 months have been received by Social Security Benefits Section by Douglas City Council to have rent paid direct to the Council.
Data Tables (1)
| In | the | 12 | months | to | 1 | July | 2024, | the | Social | Security | Division | of | Treasury | received | 156 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| requests | from | Douglas | City | Council | (formerly | Douglas | Borough | Council) | to | have | rent | paid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| directly | to | them | from | i | ndividuals’ | benefits. |
Full Response Text
Freedom of Information
Seyrsnys Fysseree
The Treasury
Government Office,
Douglas
Isle of Man, IM1 3PU
Telephone: (01624) 685605 Email: FOI.Treasury@gov.im
Government Website: www.gov.im
Our ref: 3947993 26 July 2024
Dear ###,
We write further to your request, received 1 July 2024 and amended on the 26 July 2024, which states:
"Can you tell how many requests by email or letter in the last 12 months have been received by Social Security Benefits Section by Douglas City Council to have rent paid direct to the Council. "
Our response to your request is as follows:
In the 12 months to 1 July 2024, the Social Security Division of Treasury received 156 requests from Douglas City Council (formerly Douglas Borough Council) to have rent paid directly to them from individuals’ benefits.
Please quote the reference number 3947993 in any future communications.
Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.
An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
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Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
-
Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.
More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.
Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.
I will now close your request as of this date.
Freedom of Information
Seyrsnys Fysseree
The Treasury
Government Office,
Douglas
Isle of Man, IM1 3PU
Telephone: (01624) 685605 Email: FOI.Treasury@gov.im
Government Website: www.gov.im
Our ref: 3947993 19 July 2024
Dear ###,
We write further to your request, received 1 July 2024, which states:
"Can you tell how many requests in the last 12 months have been received by Social Security Benefits Section by Douglas City Council to have rent paid direct to the Council. Also how many of these are without authorisation from the benefit claimant.
Also what policy allows Douglas Council to do this and what form does Douglas City Coincil have to complete for this to happen."
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. The response to your request is as follows:
Can you tell how many requests in the last 12 months have been received by Social Security Benefits Section by Douglas City Council to have rent paid direct to the Council. In the 12 months to 1 July 2024, the Social Security Division of Treasury received 156 requests from Douglas City Council (formerly Douglas Borough Council) to have rent paid directly to them from individuals’ benefits.
Also how many of these are without authorisation from the benefit claimant. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. This is because the requests from Douglas City Council (formerly Douglas Borough Council) do not contain that information and are not required to contain this information.
To provide some more information, the legislation (i.e. Regulation 35 of, and Schedule 9 (paragraph 3) to, the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 as they are applied to the Island) allows for an adjudication officer appointed by Treasury to approve a request from a housing provider for rent to be deducted from a claimant’s benefit and paid directly to them without the authorisation of the benefit
claimant if they or their partner is in debt, or is/are likely to get into debt, and if the opinion of the adjudication officer it would be in the interests of the individual/their family to do so.
Also what policy allows Douglas Council to do this and what form does Douglas City Council (sic) have to complete for this to happen. Rent Direct is the process of paying the housing cost component of a benefit award directly to a housing provider on behalf of a benefit recipient. Regulation 35 and Schedule 9 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 as they are applied to the Island provides the legal vires for the Social Security Division of the Isle of Man Treasury to determine whether to implement Rent Direct Payment and/or a further deduction from benefit and payment to cover rent arrears. All requests received from housing providers are considered on a case-by-case basis by an Adjudication Officer in the Social Security Division.
The housing provider will contact Social Security Division directly with their request and there is no form for them to complete. These requests are only accepted in writing/email.
To provide advice and assistance, you may also wish to contact Douglas City Council directly for more information on the circumstances in which they would submit this type of request to the Social Security Division. Their contact details are on their website or you may wish to submit a request to them under the Freedom of Information Act 2015 here.
Please quote the reference number 3947993 in any future communications.
Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.
An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;
- Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
- Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.
More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.
Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.
I will now close your request as of this date.