Housing benefits kept for social housing tenants who sign a debt repayment agreement after lease termination

When a social housing (HLM) tenant's lease is terminated by a court for unpaid rent, signing an agreement with the landlord that includes a rent arrears repayment plan counts as a right of occupancy and opens entitlement to the personalised housing allowance (APL) or housing allowances, possibly for the period since termination. The agreement lasts up to two years (extendable by three); if it is honoured, the landlord drops the eviction and signs a new lease within three months. Occupants who had already cleared their debt when the act was published are deemed to hold a lease.