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Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Volume 489: debated on Tuesday 17 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a defendant required to reside in bail accommodation and support service (BASS) accommodation as a condition of bail is eligible for (a) housing and (b) council tax benefit in relation to their (i) usual place of residence and (ii) BASS accommodation. (262345)

Defendants who are released on bail to BASS accommodation are entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit for that accommodation because it is their usual place of residence. If a defendant has a place of residence other than their BASS accommodation he/she would not normally be entitled to housing benefit for that former home as well. There are no provisions to pay council tax benefit for two homes because generally a person does not have liability for two homes if only one is being occupied.