Response 3578734

Response to request for information

Reference

3578734

Response date

12 November 2024

Request

Please provide weekly Housing Benefit eligible rent levels paid for all supported accommodation in the Borough (and clarify if these are supported but not exempt and supported exempt). If possible, please could you show the total/gross weekly rent split between the core rent, eligible and ineligible service charges. This data is contained in the Single Housing Benefit extract provided to the DWP so should be relatively easy to provide.

Response

Please note that the Council considers the information requested above to fall under the exemption in section 43(2) of the FOIA. The information requested is held by the Council.  However, the Council is of the view the information is commercially sensitive and having considered whether it would be in the public interest to provide you with the information has concluded that disclosing the information requested would prejudice the Council’s commercial interests and distort genuine competition resulting in the inflation of rent. I am satisfied that in all the circumstances of this case the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it in accordance with section 43(2) of the FOIA.