Housing Benefit ‘Disallowance-‘ A Freedom Of Information Request

Readers, you may remember this story from earlier this week.

I’ve just seen this Freedom of Information request on this issue. I will not reveal the name of the person who sent this FOI in case revealing affects the queston being answered.

I hope a response is provided- I’m sure many would love to know the answer.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
I would like you to clarify this matter for me. As far as I’m aware
when a person gets sanctioned the money that they receive gets
stopped and also their housing benefit gets stopped. However they
are still allowed to make a claim for housing benefit under a zero
income status. I have recently had reports of a Jobcentre advisor
telling claimants that if they don’t comply then they themselves
will sanction their housing benefit for two weeks.

When you have your signing on appointments, things are slightly
different… if we don’t think that you have applied for as many jobs
as you could have, if you don’t provide sufficient detail on the
jobs you have applied for, or if you do nothing at all, not only do
you run the risk of losing four weeks’ jobseekers’ allowance, there
is also a two-week disallowance of other benefits you are
receiving. The only exception being child benefit. Now, most people
who claim jobseekers’ allowance are also claiming housing benefit
and council tax benefit as well. The disallowance means that you
would be liable to cover your rent and your council tax costs for
two weeks.
Please can you clarify if this above matter is indeed the case and
legislation has indeed been passed to allow this.
Also of this is the case then when was this legislation passed and
by whom passed it.