[quote:5bfd85b82e]Does anyone out there not offer payment by cheque and insist that the claimant has a bank account?[/quote:5bfd85b82e]
I am personally aware of one or two LAs who make life very difficult for clmts who want cheques; but in my view it is unlawful to “insist” on any particular method of payment.
[b:5bfd85b82e]HBR 91(1)[/b:5bfd85b82e] makes it clear that an LA [u:5bfd85b82e][b:5bfd85b82e]shall[/b:5bfd85b82e][/u:5bfd85b82e] pay HB [b:5bfd85b82e]having regard to the needs and convenience of the [u:5bfd85b82e]clmt[/u:5bfd85b82e][/b:5bfd85b82e].
LAs who “impose” a particular method of payments to the exclusion of other methods are acting beyond the law.
There is one scenario in particular why a clmt may prefer to be paid by cheque. If their “main” account is overdrawn, a bank can recall an overdraft, in full, on demand. If a BACS payment happened to go in close to such an action, that payment may get swallowed by the bank leaving the clmt with no means to pay the rent.
But, if a clmt has another account, s/he can make a judgement call as to whether their “main” account can take the strain at the time of any particular HB payment. Once payment is set up by BACS, I don’t see many LAs running to keep changing the account details for paying HB. And, generally speaking, not especially promptly.
Regards
.
