The Discretionary Housing Payments Review Advisory Panel of Westminster Council met on Tuesday 16 September 2025 to discuss changes to its membership, declarations of interest, and requests to review the refusal to grant Discretionary Housing Payments.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street and members of the public were welcome to attend.

Review of Refusal to Grant Discretionary Housing Payment

The panel was scheduled to consider three review requests relating to the refusal to grant a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).

DHPs are payments made by local authorities to people who need extra help to pay their rent or housing costs. They are usually short-term payments to help people through a difficult time. They are awarded at the discretion of the local authority, and each council has its own policy on how DHPs are awarded.

The agenda noted that the public and press would be excluded from the meeting during this item because it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to individuals. The specific grounds for this exclusion are defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Membership

The panel was scheduled to note any changes to the membership of the committee. At the time of the meeting the members of the committee were Councillor Angela Piddock (Chair) and Councillor Lorraine Dean.

Declarations of Interest

The panel was scheduled to receive declarations by members and officers of any interests, whether pecuniary or otherwise, relating to items on the agenda.