Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

General Information Bulletin

Department for Work and Pensions, 1st Floor, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, SW1H 9NA

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/

HB/CTB G21/2009 7 December 2009

Contact / Queries about the
·  technical content of this bulletin, contact details are given at the end of each article
·  distribution of this bulletin, contact Corporate Document Services Ltd Orderline
­  Email:
·  bulletin in general, contact Kath Murphy
­  Email:
Who should read / All Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) staff
Action / For information

Contents page

New identity cards launched 2

HB/CTB Guidance Manual – Amendment 20 flysheet 2

Current HB/CTB Circulars 3

Crown Copyright 2009

Recipients may freely reproduce this bulletin.

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New identity cards launched

1 An article about the launch of new identity cards was included in bulletin HB/CTB G20/2009. This article expands on the information that has previously been provided.

2 Two new identity cards are being launched in 2009 – one for UK citizens and one for European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals living in the UK. The new cards join the identity cards for foreign nationals which were introduced in November 2008.

3 The new cards will initially be offered on a voluntary basis to those living or working in Greater Manchester and airside workers at London City and Manchester airports but they could be presented anywhere.

4 All three cards, details of which are found at Annex A to this bulletin, can be accepted as primary evidence of identity, as is already the case with passports. Customer facing staff will need to be able to recognise the cards and to check they are valid.

5 At Annex B t this bulletin there is a step by step guide on how to check the validity of any card that is presented.

6 If you suspect that a card may not be genuine you need to ask for another form of identity and pass information about the suspect card to the National Identity Fraud Unit, together with the suspicious document wherever possible.

7 Although initially the number of cards in circulation will be low, managers should ensure that customer facing staff know how to recognise and check the cards.

8 More information on identity cards can be found by accessing the Identity and Passport Service website or the Directgov website

9 For any queries about the ID Cards, though not for verification issues please contact

HB/CTB Guidance Manual – Amendment 20 flysheet

10 The flysheet for Amendment 20 to the HB/CTB Guidance Manual was incorrect. A revised flysheet is provided, in pdf format, at Annex C of this bulletin.

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Current HB/CTB Circulars

11 Following the issue of HB/CTB Guidance Manual, Amendment 20, the current ‘A’ circulars are listed in the table below.

Number / Subject
A13/2007 / Details of the intended distribution of data collection modernisation funding
A2/2008 / HB/CTB Performance Indicators from April 2008
A3/2008 / Recovery from customers who have been declared bankrupt
A4/2008 / HB/CTB Right Benefit Performance Indicator from April 2008
A5/2008 / Guidance on completion of the Single HB Extract fields for the derivation of the performance data for the ‘Right Time’ and ‘Right Benefit’ indicators
Number / Subject
A10/2008 / Additional information for Las on the 2008/09 HB/CTB Right Benefit and Right Time Performance Indicators and Comprehensive Performance Assessment 2008
A19/2008 / Better of in Work Credit pilot
A23/2008 / 2008/09 HB/CTB Right Benefit and Right Time Performance Indicators and Publication of Performance Data and HB Recoveries and Fraud
A24/2008 / Amendments to the HB Overpayments and Excess CTB Regulations, which include changes to the provisions relating to ‘recovery from a partner’
Introduction of a new overpayments subsidy classification called ‘Administrative delay’
Changes to the definition of a Fraud overpayment in the Subsidy Order
A26/2008 / Guidance to Las on the In and Out of Work Processes and The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2008 SI No 2987
A3/2009 / 2008/09 HB/CTB Right Time Performance Indicator : Update for Las
A5/2009 / Sale and rent back arrangements
A7/2009 / Data Take On and Processing Schedule (DTOPS) for the extraction and transfer of Housing Benefit Matching Service (HBMS) and Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) data for 2009/10
A8/2009 / 2009/10 HB/CTB Right Benefit Performance Indicator – Update for Local Authorities (Las)
A10/2009 / The Social Security (Use of Information for Housing Benefit and Welfare Services Purposes) Regulations 2008
A11/2009 / Dealing with changes in circumstances
A13/2009 / 2009/10 Single HB Extract – Guidance for Local Authorities (Las)
A14/2009 / Process for the transfer of the Housing Benefit Recoveries & Fraud (HBRF) Return from 1 June 2009 (Quarter 1 2009/10 onwards)
A15/2009 / HB overpayments and excess CTB issues
A17/2009 / Total disregard of Child Benefit income in HB/CTB and
technical amendments to reflect The Childcare Act 2006.
Amendment to the HB and CTB capital thresholds for customers who have reached the qualifying age for State Pension Credit.
A18/2009 / Student support uprating
A19/2009 / Changes to First-Tier Tribunal rules
A20/2009 / The HB/CTB pensioner time for claiming provisions: Upper Tribunal decision in Leicester City Council v LG, CH/0392/2009
A21/2009 / Preventing homelessness due to mortgage and landlord repossession
A22/2009 / Future provision of performance data for the Right Benefit Indicator
A23/2009 / HB Overpayments and Excess CTB issues
A24/2009 / Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit: earnings disregards in respect of Permitted Work

12 You may destroy all other HB/CTB A circulars, but we recommend you keep at least one copy of each for reference purposes.

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Annex A – How to recognise identity cards

Annex B - How to check identity cards – step by step guide.

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