MRAssociates — Why choose us
We have an outstanding track record working for not-for-profit organisations and successfully resolving housing benefit disputes
Expertise
The quality of our work is reflected by the positive feedback from our clients and our exceptional success rate
We have an in-depth understanding of all aspects of the housing benefit scheme and always seek to resolve disputes with a local authority before taking the matter before a tribunal. However, since 2000, we have successfully represented thousands of housing benefit claimants before social security tribunal hearings (now known as the First-Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal).
We manage some of the largest and most complex housing benefit appeal cases in the UK. In one case we were asked to represent over 1,200 appellants before the First-Tier Tribunal. We settled the appeals with the council prior to the hearing and secured over £1m in backdated housing benefit payments.
Access
We’re able to directly instruct leading barristers in the area of housing benefits
Through our Licensed Access with the Bar Standards Board we have access to the leading barristers in the area of housing benefit legislation including Stephen Knafler QC, Paul Stagg and Desmond Rutledge. This direct access enables us to offer you a service that is more cost effective and expeditious than if you instructed a solicitor yourself.
We also work alongside Martin Ward, author of the Shelter & CIH Guide to Housing Benefit, who is a specialist in the housing benefit and universal credit schemes.
To date we have instructed counsel in a number of significant housing benefit cases including Sheryar and anr -v- Birmingham City Council and anr. [2016] EWCA Civ C3/2014/3078; Wirral MBC v MF (HB) [2013] UKUT 291 (AAC) [2014] AACR 12; SS and SA v Birmingham CC (HB) [2014] UKUT 0137 (AAC); SS v Birmingham City Council and SoS (HB) [2013] UKUT 0418 (AAC); CH/1766/2010; Wirral MBC v Salisbury Independent Living [2012] EWCA Civ 84 [2012] AACR 37 (through Lewis Silkin); BM v Cheshire West and Chester Council (HB) [2009] UKUT 162 (AAC) (through Essential Rights Legal Practice).
Increased income
We ensure your occupants receive the housing benefit payments they're entitled to
Since 2000, MRA has assisted hundreds of UK supported housing providers improve their services by securing more than £150m in additional income through the housing benefit scheme.
This has been achieved by helping charitable and non-profit-making organisations set rents and receive the income they need to provide quality services to their occupants. Through our tribunal representation work we have also secured substantial additional income for supported exempt accommodation providers.
Personal service
We're a small, specialist consultancy firm committed to giving you a friendly and supportive service
No matter what the size of your organisation, we ensure all our clients are looked after and are given a personal and attentive service. Our aim is to build a relationship with you that allows you to continue to provide your services and not become entrenched in complex or difficult housing benefit issues.
We operate an environmentally friendly, paperless office and use Cloud-based applications to provide our services in the most cost effective and efficient way.
Authoritative Advice
We give you comprehensive and authoritative advice in the area of housing benefits
We’ve spent years compiling the largest database of social security material in the UK and have over 25,000 fully indexed social security cases. We receive all Upper Tribunal cases from England, Wales and Scotland and Social Security Commissioners Cases from Northern Ireland. This allows us to provide the most comprehensive and authoritative advice in the field of housing benefits.
We also receive all the main social security journals and periodicals, and to ensure we are kept up-to-date with changes in the law, we subscribe to Westlaw UK, the premier online legal research database. We also maintain subscriptions to the best legal commentaries on housing law such as The Encyclopaedia of Housing Law and Woodfall Landlord and Tenant.