Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of introducing a minimum floor for Universal Credit so that benefit deductions and the benefit cap do not push people into financial hardship.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no plans to introduce a floor of this nature. However, the Government is committed to reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty.
Universal Credit customers can approach their local authority to be considered for a Discretionary Housing Payment. These can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their rental costs.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Household Support Fund will be extended to sustain crisis support this winter; and if so, for how long the extension will last.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government announced funding to extend the Household Support Fund for a further 6 months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.
An additional £421 million has been provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
As has been done for previous schemes, the Fund is available to County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England to provide discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials.
The Household Support Fund scheme guidance and individual funding allocations for Local Authorities have been published on Gov.uk and can be found here.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for extending support for private renters by maintaining the link between Local Housing Allowance and actual rents.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. Claimants in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance regardless of the contractual rent paid.
LHA rates were restored to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024 for one year.
Decisions on LHA for future years will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, housing priorities, and the fiscal context.