Recovery of Housing Benefit from Local Authority

Rent Arrears

He was the sole bread winner but departed in December 2020 leaving her with two children from a previous relationship and no income. (She had no previous employment and no chance of obtaining sufficiently well paid employment to pay the rent).

As the situation was hopeless we served an immediate Section 21Notice because pressure on the local authority means that they will only rehouse when a Section 21 Notice is in process or the Court has ordered a tenant to leave.

She obtained financial benefit from the local counsel including a housing allowance.

She kept the housing allowance.

The reply from the local counsel to a letter explaining the problem and asking for the rent to be paid direct to me was refused on the ground that they had contacted her and she had refused.

In the past few weeks her children have returned to the care of their natural father and she has since left.

Did the Counsel act properly or should they have paid her housing allowance to me.

When she left there was nearly %C2£14,000 arrears.