Discretionary Housing Payment Reviews Held Behind Closed Doors

Westminster Council's Discretionary Housing Payments Review Advisory Panel is holding reviews of refused Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) behind closed doors to protect individual's personal information. The public and press are excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the review requests, as they involve information relating to any individual .

The panel, consisting of Councillor Liza Begum (Chair), Councillor Maggie Carman, and Councillor Anthony Devenish, was scheduled to meet on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, to consider two requests to review the refusal to grant a DHP. The agenda frontsheet for the meeting indicates that after noting membership changes and declarations of interest, the panel would move into a closed session.

According to the public reports pack, the public and press are excluded from the portion of the meeting discussing the DHP reviews. The reason given is that these discussions involve information relating to any individual, which is exempt under the Local Government Act 1972.

DHPs are payments made by local authorities to residents who need extra financial help with housing costs. Westminster City Council has a duty to create a DHP policy, and to review it regularly. These payments are intended as a safety net for vulnerable residents struggling with housing affordability and are typically short-term.