Local Authority Benefits Data and Policies
Received: 9 June 2025
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to local benefits and support schemes administered by Barnet Council.Please provide the following information for each of the schemes listed below, covering the past three financial years (2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24):1. Schemes Covered*Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) *Household Support Fund *Council Tax Discretionary Relief Scheme*Council Tax Reduction / Rates Relief*Local Welfare Assistance (or equivalent scheme in your authority)*Disabled Facilities Gran*Grants for Care Equipment and Home Adaptations *Free School Meals and School Clothing Costs *Council Tax Discount (including single person and disability-related discounts) *Free Bus Pass and Senior Railcard (administered by or via your council) 2. Information RequestedFor each scheme listed above, please provide:a. Eligibility CriteriaThe eligibility rules currently in place (e.g., income thresholds, qualifying circumstances).b. Internal Guidance or Policy DocumentsAny internal guidance or policy documents used by council staff in assessing applications or determining entitlement.c. Statistical Information (for each of the past three years)*Number of applications received*Number of applications approved and rejected*Average processing time (if available)*Annual budget allocation and total expenditured. Use of Automation*Are any automated or algorithmic decision-making tools or software used in the administration or assessment of these schemes?*If yes, please describe their function and whether any assessments of fairness, bias, or data protection have been conducted.3. Format and Clarifications*Please provide responses in a machine-readable format (e.g. CSV, Excel, or JSON) where possible.*If fulfilling the request in full would exceed the cost/time limits under Section 12 of the FOI Act, I would be grateful if you could prioritise the following schemes in this order:1.Discretionary Housing Payment2.Council Tax Reduction and Discretionary Relief3.Household Support Fund4.Local Welfare Assistance5.Disabled Facilities GrantPlease also advise on how I might narrow the request if needed.Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to your response
Outcome / Documents
- Response (some not held) - application/pdf - Download