FOI Disclosure Log
Customer Request Details
21 October 2020
Council tax
If the council does not have data for households for questions 1-3, please provide data for individuals.
Questions 1-3 refer to arrears that have accumulated with regard to 2020/21 council tax bills.
1. How many households have been issued with liability orders in relation to council tax arrears from the 2020/21 financial year?
2. How many households have been referred to bailiffs in relation to council tax arrears from the 2020/21 financial year?
3. For how many households has the council requested an attachment to benefits in relation to council tax arrears from the 2020/21 financial year?
Homelessness assistance
4. Since 1st April 2020, how many people have approached the council for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act?
5. Please provide the question 4 figure broken down by the month in which the approach for help was received, for each month from April to November (if available) inclusive.
6. Of the people who approached the council since 1st April 2020 for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act (i.e. the question 4 figure), how many have been assessed by the council as being owed the prevention duty?
7. Of the people who approached the council since 1st April 2020 for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act (i.e. the question 4 figure), how many have been assessed by the council as being owed the relief duty?
8. Of the people who approached the council since 1st April 2020 for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act (i.e. the question 4 figure), how many have been assessed by the council as being owed the main housing duty?
9. How many homeless people were supported into accommodation under the "Everyone In" scheme in March? This question refers to the initial round of immediate support back in March, rather than any longer term assessment and support that may have occurred in subsequent months.
Commercial rents
10. How many commercial property tenants does the council have (in the council"s role as landlord)?
11. Of the tenants referred to in question 10, how many are at least a month (or four weeks) in arrears on rent?
12. Of the tenants referred to in question 10, how many are at least three months (or 12 weeks) in arrears on rent?
13. What is the total amount of commercial property rent arrears that has accumulated to date during 2020/21 (where the council is the landlord)?
14. Please provide any report or analysis prepared by or for the council since March on the property values of the council"s commercial property portfolio, particularly in terms of the impact of Covid and related economic effects.
East Herts Council Response
24 November 2020
Thank you for your request for information, this has now been processed and the information that we hold is enclosed.
- How many households have been issued with liability orders in relation to council tax arrears from the 2020/21 financial year?
- Answer Individuals =Zero so far
- How many households have been referred to bailiffs in relation to council tax arrears from the 2020/21 financial year?
- Answer = Nil in respect of 2020/21 arrears so far
- For how many households has the council requested an attachment to benefits in relation to council tax arrears from the 2020/21 financial year?
- Answer = Nil in respect of 2020/21 arrears so far
Homeless Assistance Questions
4. Since 1st April 2020, how many people have approached the council for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act?
5. Please provide the question 4 figure broken down by the month in which the approach for help was received, for each month from April to November (if available) inclusive.
6. Of the people who approached the council since 1st April 2020 for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act (i.e. the question 4 figure), how many have been assessed by the council as being owed the prevention duty?
7. Of the people who approached the council since 1st April 2020 for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act (i.e. the question 4 figure), how many have been assessed by the council as being owed the relief duty?
8. Of the people who approached the council since 1st April 2020 for help with homelessness or the threat of homelessness under the Homelessness Reduction Act (i.e. the question 4 figure), how many have been assessed by the council as being owed the main housing duty?
Notes
Question 4: Approaches
All households that approach who are threatened with homelessness or homeless as defined in the legislation are owed the prevention duty or relief duty with the exception of those households that are ineligible as a result of their immigration status. All such households will be assessed to ascertain which duties are owed to them. Other households may approach for general housing advice or, occasionally, the applicant may decline assistance under the legislation.
Therefore, the number of approaches s includes:
- All those who approached for general housing advice; and
- All those who approached as threatened with homelessness (including those who declined assistance under the prevention duty) ; and
- All those who approached as homeless (including those who declined assistance under the relief duty); and
- All those who approached and were ineligible for assistance; and
- All those who approached and were not threatened with homelessness within 56 days
Questions 6 – 8: Duties
It should be noted that the figures provided are correct at 2nd November 2020. However, some applicants will not have reached the threshold for moving into the relief or decision stage of the process i.e. an applicant who is in the prevention stage may go on to become homeless and owed the relief duty, but has not already done so; or, an applicant who is in the relief stage may gone on to be owed the main housing duty once 56 days has passed from the date that the relief duty was owed.
Response
Date of approach
Question no.
Approaches
(4/5)
Prevention duty owed
(6)
Relief duty owed ()*
(7)
Main housing duty owed
(8)
April
48
2
15 (1)
5
May
47
7
17 (4)
2
June
82
16
34 (9)
6
July
73
21
28 (10)
5
August
72
22
34 (10)
3
September
66
13
29 (3)
-
October
79
13
24 (1)
-
All
467
94
181 (38)
21
* Figures in brackets are applicants who were previously owed the prevention duty and are therefore included in both prevention duty and relief duty figures
9. How many homeless people were supported into accommodation under the "Everyone In" scheme in March? This question refers to the initial round of immediate support back in March, rather than any longer term assessment and support that may have occurred in subsequent months.
21 households or 22 people
Commercial rents
10. How many commercial property tenants does the council have (in the council"s role as landlord)? 44
11. Of the tenants referred to in question 10, how many are at least a month (or four weeks) in arrears on rent?
11
12. Of the tenants referred to in question 10, how many are at least three months (or 12 weeks) in arrears on rent?
11
13. What is the total amount of commercial property rent arrears that has accumulated to date during 2020/21 (where the council is the landlord)?
£152,547.46
14. Please provide any report or analysis prepared by or for the council since March on the property values of the council"s commercial property portfolio, particularly in terms of the impact of Covid and related economic effects.
N/A
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Alternatively for more information on the Freedom of Information Act contact the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone 0303 123 1113
https://ico.org.uk/
It is important that you include the above FOI reference number on all correspondence related to this request.
Thank you for your request.