Errors on housing benefit claim could cost council £250,000

By The Newsroom
Published 18th Jan 2017, 13:14 BST
Parkside Chart Way Horsham - Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council SUS-150723-162029001Parkside Chart Way Horsham - Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council SUS-150723-162029001
Parkside Chart Way Horsham - Horsham District Council and West Sussex County Council SUS-150723-162029001

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Errors by a partnership administering housing benefits to Horsham district residents could cost the council almost a quarter of a million pounds.

CenSus revenues and benefits partnership is operated by Mid Sussex District Council and is also responsible for collecting taxes, and overseeing council tax support schemes.

However Horsham District Council is considering whether to withdraw as it may receive a Government reduction of £249,000 in its housing benefit subsidy claim for 2015/16 after advice from external auditors about the level of errors in decisions made in individual cases.

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Adur District Council, the third authority in the partnership, has already signalled its intention to pull out.

Brian Donnelly, HDC’s cabinet member for finance and assets, said: “The partnership has been in existence for around 11 years.