Entitled status requests on social or economic grounds (FOI)

Request

Could you please provide me with the number of applications that have been made for Entitled status on grounds of social, economic or hardship over the last five years, as well as the number of those that have been granted?

Can you please provide a breakdown of categories for the applications made and granted (ie whether the application related to health, housing or any other circumstances)

Response

The table below shows the number of individuals granted ‘Entitled’ status on social and/ or economic grounds as defined under the Control of Housing and Work (Residential and Employment Status) (Jersey) Regulations 2013 since January 2016:

The table below shows the number of individuals granted ‘Entitled’ status on hardship grounds as defined under the Control of Housing and Work (Residential and Employment Status) (Jersey) Regulations 2013 since January 2016:

Those persons granted Entitled status on the grounds of hardship generally fall under the below categories, and in most cases cite a combination of more than one of these factors in their application. It is therefore not possible to provide an accurate breakdown of applications made and granted by specific category.

Relevant officers within Customer and Local Services will consider these applications under delegated powers from the Deputy Chief Minister where they fall within the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 – Residential and Employment Status – Policy Guidance, dated May 2019, available at the following link:

Residential and Employment Status Guidance 20161205 RB.pdf (gov.je)

Previous published versions were dated December 2016 and March 2018.

This guidance has been approved by the Housing and Work Advisory Group and sets out parameters in which decisions under the legislation regarding residential and employment status are made.

The Deputy Chief Minister has the ability to consider applications which do not fall within the guidance on a case-by-case basis, and to exercise discretion in respect of such applications. In these cases, officers will refer applications to the Deputy Chief Minster for consideration, and whilst he is ultimately accountable for the decision, he will seek the advice of his political colleagues on the Housing and Work Advisory Group as part of the decision making process.