Adjudication circulars provide advice, guidance and information on Housing Benefit to local authority staff. They 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 Department for Work and Pension’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.

Published 10 February 2025

Last updated 829 ~~July~~September 2025 + show all updates

29 September 2025
Added the circulars: A9/2025 Housing Benefit debt recovered by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Debt Management and A10/2025 The Housing Benefit (Habitual Residence) Amendment Regulations 2025.

8 July 2025
The email address for queries about the technical content of the circular A6/2025 has changed.
4 June 2025
Added A8/2025 Housing Benefit operational information, performance support and engagement for the financial year ending March 2026.
1 May 2025
A6/2025 HB circular added.
24 April 2025
Added circular A7/2025 Housing Benefit Award Accuracy Initiative for the financial year ending March.
28 March 2025
Added HB circular A5/2025: The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025.
28 February 2025
A3/2025 and A4/2025 added to page.
27 February 2025
Added HB Circular A2/2025: War Pensions uprating for the financial year ending March 2026.
10 February 2025
First published.

Housing Benefit adjudication circulars 2025

Documents

Details

Updates to this page

Sign up for emails or print this page

Update history