Round up of housing law and news: November 2025

Legislation

Changes to housing benefit claims when leaving temporary accommodation.

Termination of housing benefit when moving out of temporary accommodation

From 14 November 2025, housing benefit claims will end when someone moves out of temporary or specified accommodation. This will happen even if they are not claiming universal credit.

Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No.35) (Abolition of Benefits) Order 2025 S.I. 2025/1148

Caselaw

Injunctions against tenants, intentional homelessness decisions and wrongful terminations of housing benefit claims.

Entry for gas safety checks

A housing association obtained an injunction against its tenant to grant access for gas safety checks. When the tenant failed to comply, the landlord requested that the court vary the order to permit forced entry. The court refused, ruling that a County Court has no power under the civil procedure rules to authorise forced entry. The landlord's remaining remedies are to pursue contempt of court proceedings or seek possession.

Southern Housing v James Emmanuel (2025) EWCC 58

Intentional homelessness decision upheld despite outstanding notice to quit

The Court of Appeal held that a local authority acted lawfully when finding an applicant intentionally homeless after they refused alternative temporary accommodation.

Although the applicant had received a notice to vacate, their deliberate refusal of a suitable offer was the cause of his homelessness. The authority found him intentionally homeless and the court dismissed the applicant's appeal.

Muzzafer Cifci v London Borough of Sutton [2025] EWCA Civ 1480

Housing Benefit claim wrongfully terminated

The Upper Tribunal ruled that a local authority was incorrect to terminate a claimant's housing benefit after she failed to respond to a request for more information. The claimant had moved out of her accommodation and then, a few weeks later, moved into a new property in the same area without informing the council. As the council failed to explain how to extend the deadline, they should have used a closed period supersession to adjust the award for the weeks she was away, rather than terminating it.

EF v The London Borough of Bromley [2025] UKUT 344 (AAC)

Appealing to tribunal where DWP refuses to issue a mandatory reconsideration notice

A universal credit claimant requested a mandatory reconsideration within the time limit. The DWP declined the request, stating it did not have the power to amend a decision due to government policy. The Upper Tribunal found that this amounted to rejection by the DWP of a mandatory reconsideration. It ruled that the tribunal had discretion to waive the normal requirement for a mandatory reconsideration notice and could hear the appeal.

AP v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2025] UKUT 330 (AAC)

News and guidance

Electrical safety guidance, temporary accommodation funding gaps and freezing LHA rates.

Electrical safety standards guidance

The government has extended electrical safety standards to the social housing sector from 1 November 2025. New guidance has been published to support the amendments.

Gov.uk: Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance

Temporary accommodation funding gap

The District Council Network warns that freezing government support for temporary accommodation at 2011 rent levels is costing district councils £268 million a year, enough to build 1,100 new homes annually.

District councils' network: Temporary accommodation freeze costs equals 1,100 social homes a year

Call to end the freezing of LHA rates

Citizens Advice and Z2K have issued statements calling upon the government to end the freeze of local housing allowance (LHA) rates, noting the growing gap between rent levels and LHA payments.

Citizens' Advice: Falling Behind: The government is failing private renters by freezing Local Housing Allowance

Z2K: Out in the cold: Why discretionary housing support can’t relieve the harms of freezing housing benefit

Inquiry into black homelessness

The Women and Equalities Committee has launched an inquiry into black homelessness. The inquiry will examine why black people face disproportionate risks of homelessness and how the government can tackle this.

Evidence will be accepted until 12 January 2026.

UK Parliament: Black homelessness

Housing Ombudsman Special investigations process

The Housing Ombudsman has introduced a new tiered special investigations process. It allows the Ombudsman to intervene earlier when it identifies concerns about a landlord's performance, requiring response plans and progress updates before escalating an issue to a full investigation.

Housing Ombudsman: New special investigations process

Social and affordable homes programme guidance

The government has published new guidance for housing providers who want to bid for the £27.3 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 to 2036. The SAHP aims to increase the supply of social and affordable homes and the government’s commitment to delivering 1.5 million homes in this parliament, with at least 60% of homes built for social rent.

Gov.uk: Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 to 2036

Hurricane Melissa exemptions to habitual residence

The DWP has amended the list of people who are exempt from the habitual residence test. People who have left Jamaica after 1 November 2025 as a result of Hurricane Melissa are exempt for six months.

See DMG Memo 10/25 at Decision makers’ guide: memos: staff guide - GOV.UK

Data and trends

Homelessness monitoring report, councils' failure to prosecute rogue landlords and the annual homelessness statistics.

Rough sleeping rises by 20%

Research from Crisis shows that rough sleeping across England has risen by 20% in the last year. The Homelessness Monitor 2025 report shows:

• 330,000 households were assessed by local authorities as homeless or at risk of homelessness

• evictions from Home Office asylum accommodation rose by 37%

• local authorities spent £2.8 million on temporary accommodation

Crisis: The Homelessness Monitor: England 2025

Councils fail to prosecute rogue landlords

Two-thirds of English councils took no action against landlords between 2022-2024, despite 300,000 complaints about poor housing. The Guardian found that in the last three years:

• less than 2% of tenant complaints led to formal enforcement

• only 640 landlords were prosecuted, and 4,702 civil penalties were issued

• councils struggled to enforce rules due to long-term funding cuts

The Guardian: Two-thirds of English councils have not prosecuted a single landlord in past three years

Annual homelessness statistics

The government has issued its latest homelessness statistics for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The data shows:

• local authorities carried out 360,050 initial homelessness assessments

• 184,540 households were assessed as homeless

• on 1 March 2025, 41,250 households owed the main housing duty were placed in a different local authority area

• of the 107,970 households with children who were homeless or threatened with homelessness, 45.4% had at least one support need

Gov.uk: Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2024-25

Homelessness impact on health

Homeless Link releases its latest report on the health outcomes of people experiencing homelessness. Data collected between 2022-2025 shows:

• 81% (587) of the audit respondents reported having at least one physical health condition

• 77% (560) of respondents were diagnosed with a least one mental health condition

• nearly a third of respondents were discharged from hospital into street homelessness, the highest since records began

• only 20% of respondents ate three meals a day

Homeless Link: The Unhealthy State of Homelessness 2025

Increases in mortgage and landlord repossession

The government has published its mortgage and landlord possession statistics in England, covering July and September 2025.

Compared to the same quarter in 2024, the data shows:

• a 40% increase in mortgage repossessions by county court bailiffs

• landlord claims decreased by 8% to 23,327

• the average landlord repossession time has increased to 27.4 weeks

Gov.uk: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: July to September 2025