London housing associations have named and shamed twelve councils for poor housing benefit services in a letter to a government minister, as concerns about the problem grow nationwide
Chronic problems with housing benefit delivery threatens to provoke an ugly feud between councils and housing associations.

A group representing the largest associations in London, G14, has become so frustrated by payment delays that it has written to the Secretary of State for Social Security Alistair Darling seeking a meeting to discuss the problems.

The National Housing Federation has compiled a dossier of problems across the country, but in London it is claimed that services have virtually ground to a halt in some areas.

The letter seen by Housing Today says that delays of months are common place across the capital, but it names 12 authorities that provide a "particularly poor service".

They are: Hackney, Islington, Waltham Forest, Lambeth, Ealing, Brent, Greenwich, Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Barking and Dagenham, and Newham.

The letter says: "The impact on our work as social landlords is extremely serious as we pursue tenants for rent arrears."

A DSS spokeswoman said: "The secretary of state shares the concerns that some local authorities are not providing the level of services that their customers have a right to expect."

At the same time, however, the Citizens Advice Bureau service has told associations to stop threatening their tenants with eviction in an attempt to speed up payments.

Jason Eden, social policy development officer for the London CAB service revealed that housing benefit delays are now the biggest source of complaints to London CAB offices.

He added: "Housing associations think that if they threaten eviction that housing benefit will suddenly appear. What they should be doing is assisting tenants to take complaints out against the councils."

The G14 letter has angered the Association of London Government because they were not consulted about it.

Association of London Government housing panel chair Pete Challis, has also called on the G14 to either retract the inclusion of his borough Greenwich on the list, or substantiate the allegations.

But he added: "If there is any basis for the claims this list raises serious questions about the ability of the private sector to deliver housing benefit services."

Only two of the boroughs, including Greenwich, have a council-controlled housing benefit service.

London Housing Federation head Sue Ellenby said: "Councils need to be aware of the difficulties that delays in many areas are causing for their housing association partners and their tenants."

Source

Housing Today