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HB contacts

If you need to contact us, here are the contacts according to subject matter (updated May 2012).

This contact list is for enquiries about Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) policy only.  The contacts listed below do not have information about HB or CTB claims.

If you are looking to make a claim, or have a query relating to a specific claim, please contact your Local Authority.

HB discussion/chat room details are also available at the bottom of this page.

Subject area Name Contact details
Administration Subsidy Andrew Curphey hbctb.subsidyqueries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Automated Service Delivery   HBSDMP.WWEG@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Backdating housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Benefit Subsidy
General Benefit Subsidy queries
Subsidy for Non HRA rent rebates
Subsidy for backdated claims
Subsidy for discretionary local schemes
Subsidy for LA error overpayments
Benefit subsidy transitional protection
Manny Ibiayo HBCTB.SUBSIDYQUERIES@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK
Benefit Subsidy
Rent rebate subsidy limitation
Funding towards Discretionary Housing
Payments
Andrew Curphey hbctb.subsidyqueries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Benefit Subsidy
Payments – funding and allocation
Andrew Curphey hbctb.subsidyqueries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Bulletins and circulars – distribution DWP HOUSING.CORRESPONDENCEANDPQS@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Change of circumstances (Regulations) housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Change Program Deliverables   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Circulars - backdated copies Tony Oldman 020 7449 5403
Tony.Oldman@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Claim forms   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Claims and payments   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Council Tax Benefit housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Customer Management System (CMS) DWP HBSDMP.WWEG@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Data protection issues   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Decisions and appeals DMA Leeds dmaleeds.customersupportservices@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Fax: 0113 232 4841
Discretionary Housing Payments - policy   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
DWP/LAA Steering Group Mont Goldman 020 7449 5327
07776 497 289
Mont.Goldman@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Employee Authentication Service (EAS)   SHSVCS.NRA@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK
Extended Payments – HB/CTB   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Fraud and error policy – procedures Fraud and error policy team fraud-error-policy@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Good Practice Guide Louise Hughes 020 7449 5390
Performance-Framework@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Guidance Manual – updates   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
HB Direct newsletter – content Jon Copestake Jon.Copestake@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
HB Direct newsletter – HB/CTB circulars, bulletin distribution Tony Oldman Tony.Oldman@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
IB(IS) Reassessment Delivery   HBSDMP.WWEG@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Income and Capital – including earnings and War Pension local scheme (but not student income/capital)   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
HDD LA Data Share (LADS) Programme
Programme Manager
Sylvia Haslehurst 07876 475 372
Sylvia.Haslehurst@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
HDD LA Data Share (LADS) Programme
Programme Development Manager
David Wright 020 7449 5350
07769 912 462
David.Wright1@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
HDD LA Data Share (LADS) Programme
LADS Delivery Team(IT links between DWP/local authorities)
Wayne Norfolk
0113 251 9012
Wayne.Norfolk@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Housing Benefit Recoveries and Fraud (HBRF) Data Collection Leigh Armstrong Data Delivery Team Information Directorate 0191 216 2636
Leigh.Armstrong@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
LA Performance Team
  • BFI/Audit Commission/Audit Scotland/Wales Audit Office inspections
  • Reviewing claim processing and fraud/error performance.
  • Local Area Agreements for 2008/9 onwards
Andy Munro
– Government Office Regions: London, North West, Yorks & Humber, East Midlands.
020 7449 5400
Andy.Munro@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Jane Perfect
– Government Office Regions: South East, South West, East England, West Midlands, Wales, Scotland
020 7449 5404
Jane.Perfect@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Engagement with local authorities on performance issues. Government Office Regions: Wales, West Midlands, Scotland, East England. 020 7449 5400
andy.munro@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
020 7449 5404
Jane.Perfect@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
LA Transition Team Darren Baker

LA.UNIVERSALCREDITTRANSITION@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
020 7449 5375

Local Housing Allowance   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Maximum rent   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Single Housing Benefit Extract collection (SHBE) Leigh Armstrong
Data Delivery Team Information Directorate
0191 216 2636
Leigh.Armstrong@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Membership of the family – HB/CTB.
  housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Support for Mortgage Interest – Existing legislation for home owners with housing costs on IS/JSA (IB)/ESA   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Non dependant deductions in IS/JSA(IB)/ESA(IR)/SPC and HB/CTB   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Overpayments   HBandCTB.overpayments@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Pension Credit – interaction with HB/CTB.   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Performance Development Team Jacqueline Reed 07770 844 176
Jacqueline.Reed@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Performance Framework Louise Hughes 020 7449 5390
Performance-Framework@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Personal Allowances & Premiums   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
People from abroad and asylum seekers   pfa.enquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Practitioners Operations Group (POG) Mont Goldman
020 7449 5327
07776 497 289
Mont.Goldman@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Rent and Rent liability
– Eligible rent rules including
social sector and pre 1996
rules with exempt
accommodation
  housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Royal Mail – Do Not Re-direct James Ablewhite James.Ablewhite@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Shared accommodation rate and single room rent restrictions.
Service charges
  housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Students – regs regarding treatment of income and eligibility to claim   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Tax Credits – interaction with HB/CTB   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Temporary Absence – two homes, prisoners   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Temporary Accommodation   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Uprating   housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Discussion

Local Authority officers may find it useful to discuss HB/CTB administration with colleagues from other authorities or the IRRV offers a Forum Service and Benefits Advisory Service which offers practitioners a technical query service. Here are the links to these independent sources of advice:

HBInfo website: www.hbinfo.org/

IRRV: www.irrv.net/forums/

The DWP is not responsible for the contents or reliability of the message boards and linking to them should not be considered as an endorsement of any kind. We also have no control over the availability of these message boards.