OXFORD CITY COUNCIL V BASEY – COURT OF APPEAL – MEANING OF “SHELTERED” ACCOMMODATION

 

This case is about what “sheltered” accommodation means for the purposes of the housing benefit regulations.

By paragraph 5 Schedule 1, service charges for fuel are ineligible to be met by housing benefit, unless they are in respect of services for communal areas. By paragraph 8 “communal areas” mean areas of common access in sheltered accommodation.

In this case the claimant, who had severe learning difficulties, was a housing association tenant who lived in a property with 4 other tenants, all with learning difficulties. They each had their own bedroom and shared a kitchen, bathroom, two toilets, two sitting rooms and one other room. Care, support and supervision were provided 24 hours a day with a room reserved exclusively for staff. Read more by clicking here—