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Housing Benefit for local authorities: adjudication circulars

Adjudication circulars (A circulars) provide updates to the Housing Benefit guidance manual for local authority staff.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published:
17 October 2013
Last updated:
16 March 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added 'Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2026' to the list of adjudication circulars.

  2. Added 'Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2025' to the list of adjudication circulars.

  3. Added 'Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2023' to the list of adjudication circulars.

  4. Added 'Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2022' to the list of adjudication circulars.

  5. Updated email address for enquiries about the distribution of adjudication circulars.

  6. Added 'Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2021' to the list of adjudication circulars.

  7. Added link to HB Adjudication circulars for 2020.

  8. Published A1/2016: Managing capital cases where Payment Protection Insurance may be included.

  9. Published HB Circular A7/2015: Pension flexibilities, further guidance.

  10. Published HB Circular A6/2015: Discretionary Housing Payments returns for April 2014 to March 2015.

  11. Published HB Circular A5/2015 Housing Benefit operational information, performance support and inspection in 2015/16.

  12. Added link to HB A3/2015: Fraud and Error Reduction Incentive Scheme Good Practice guide.

  13. Added HB Circular A2/2015: War Pensions uprating Apr 2015 to Mar 2016.

  14. Added HB Circular A1/2015: Real Time Information bulk data matching initiative.

  15. Added HB Circular A18/2014: Housing Benefit uprating for financial year 2015 to 16.

  16. Published HB Circular A17/2014: Fraud and Error Reduction Incentive Scheme: Guide for local authorities.

  17. Published HB Circular A16/2014: Real Time Information Bulk Data Matching Initiative.

  18. Published HB Circular A15/2014 with guidance for local authorities on an exercise to match data from HMRC's Real Time Information system with data on social security benefits.

  19. Published circulars A13/2014 discretionary housing payments and A14/2014 special education needs.

  20. Link added to new collection page for 2014 circulars.

  21. Revised Circular A24/2013 - benefit uprating 2014/15 published

  22. Circ A24 removed whilst being updated - new version will be published

  23. Circular A24/2013: Uprating 2014/15 added to the collection

  24. Circular A23/2013 published

  25. Added latest HB Subsidy Circular S10/2013.

  26. Circular A21/2013 changes to the size criteria rules for disabled children and the treatment of joint tenants affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy published.

  27. HB Subsidy circular S9/2013: Revised 2014 to 15 Housing Benefit administration subsidy arrangements for English local authorities added to list of documents.

  28. New circulars for HB subsidy arrangements 2014 to 2015 added. S7/2013 for English authorities and S8/2013 for Welsh authorities.

  29. First published.

These circulars update the Housing Benefit guidance manual.

The circulars make many references to Council Tax Benefit as this was administered by local authorities alongside Housing Benefit until March 2013. In April 2013 Council Tax Benefit was replaced by local authorities’ own council tax support and reduction schemes, removing DWP’s involvement. Readers will need to consider references to Council Tax Benefit in these documents accordingly.

For enquiries about the distribution of circulars, email: lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk

We also publish:

Adjudication circulars

Find HB circulars before 2011 on the National Archives website.

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