Universal Credit
Baroness Coussins Excerpts(5 years, 9 months ago)
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Baroness Stedman-Scott
We have increased the local housing allowance to cover the lowest 30th percentile of the local market, and alternative payment arrangements to landlords have been put in place. If claimants have great difficulties, they can speak to their work coach or client adviser, who, if there is a way to help them, will do their best to find it.
Baroness Coussins (CB)
My Lords, the five-week wait has significantly increased household debt and anxiety as a result of council tax arrears. Will the Minister please press the Government to issue clear guidance to local authorities that collection and enforcement activity on council tax arrears, including all bailiff contact, should be suspended for a minimum of three months?
Baroness Stedman-Scott
I am happy to take that point back to the department and will write to the noble Baroness in due course.
Covid-19: People Living in Poverty
Baroness Coussins Excerpts(5 years, 10 months ago)
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Baroness Coussins (CB)
My Lords, I declare my interest as president of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline.
One concern is council tax. Even before Covid-19, 30% of callers to National Debtline were in arrears. Some councils have announced help for people who are struggling to pay, but it varies enormously between councils. The Government have told councils to use the £500 million hardship funding primarily to knock £150 off the bill this year for those on council tax support, but the problem is that many people who have lost their job or had their income hit in other ways by the pandemic were not on council tax support in the first place. Without extra central government funding, I fear that we will see a significant rise in the number of people falling into arrears and facing unreasonable pressure to pay. Will the Minister please undertake to look at what more the Government can do, so that local authorities can give payment breaks to all those who need them?