Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking (a) separately and (b) with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to make an estimate of how much (i) housing benefit and (ii) housing element of Universal Credit is paid towards service charges of social housing tenants.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Department does not hold the data requested.
(i) It is not possible to identify Housing expenditure specifically related to eligible service charges for social housing tenants in our administrative data. We only hold data on the total Housing Benefit awards and expenditure.
(ii) For Universal Credit, it is not possible to split UC housing expenditure into expenditure on eligible service charges specifically.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 14 December 2022 to Question 104103 on Social Rented Housing: Rents, if his Department will commission research into the (a) prevalence of tenants in social housing being incorrectly charged for services they do not receive and (b) impact of (i) caretaking, (ii) maintenance of lifts and door entry systems and (ii) other elements previously covered by rent in social housing now being paid for by service charges.
Answered by Jacob Young
The Government is clear that service charges should relate to costs, and that it would not be acceptable for Registered Providers of social housing to increase service charges simply as a means of boosting rental revenue. Registered Providers (including housing associations) are expected to supply tenants with clear information about how service charges are set.
Where there are concerns about the calculation, collection or communication of service charges, tenants may ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate their complaint. The Government has strengthened the Housing Ombudsman Service, so tenants of social landlords have somewhere to turn when they are not getting the answers they need from their landlords.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities works closely with the Regulator of Social Housing, and the Department for Work of Pensions to ascertain the impact of social housing rent policy on taxpayers, tenants and providers.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that housing associations do not circumvent the 7.7 per cent cap on rent increases in 2024-25 by raising service charges.
Answered by Jacob Young
The Government is clear that service charges should relate to costs, and that it would not be acceptable for Registered Providers of social housing to increase service charges simply as a means of boosting rental revenue. Registered Providers (including housing associations) are expected to supply tenants with clear information about how service charges are set.
Where there are concerns about the calculation, collection or communication of service charges, tenants may ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate their complaint. The Government has strengthened the Housing Ombudsman Service, so tenants of social landlords have somewhere to turn when they are not getting the answers they need from their landlords.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities works closely with the Regulator of Social Housing, and the Department for Work of Pensions to ascertain the impact of social housing rent policy on taxpayers, tenants and providers.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether (a) right to manage and (b) residential management companies requiring the assistance of Building Safety Directors (BSD) will still be required to register by 6 April 2024, in the context of the time taken for regulations on the responsibilities and qualifications of BSDs to be published.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government is analysing the responses from the building safety director’s consultation and is considering whether to introduce regulations to enable the optional appointment of a building safety director by resident-led accountable persons in due course.
The requirement to register existing buildings came into force on 6 April 2023. Existing occupied higher-risk buildings had to be registered by 1 October 2023. Appointing a building safety director is not necessary in order to register a higher-risk building. Registration is a simple process, and the Building Safety Regulator has provided guidance to support accountable persons through this process. In addition, existing arrangements, and third-party support, such as from managing agents, can also provide expertise and support resident directors who are accountable persons in complying with their legal duties.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to lay regulations setting out the responsibilities and qualifications for Building Safety Directors.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government is analysing the responses from the building safety director’s consultation and is considering whether to introduce regulations to enable the optional appointment of a building safety director by resident-led accountable persons in due course.
The requirement to register existing buildings came into force on 6 April 2023. Existing occupied higher-risk buildings had to be registered by 1 October 2023. Appointing a building safety director is not necessary in order to register a higher-risk building. Registration is a simple process, and the Building Safety Regulator has provided guidance to support accountable persons through this process. In addition, existing arrangements, and third-party support, such as from managing agents, can also provide expertise and support resident directors who are accountable persons in complying with their legal duties.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2023 to Question 191729 on Universal Credit: Private Rented Housing, for what reason he did not supply the information requested in that Question on how many and what proportion of those households in receipt of universal credit with the housing element in payment had rents that exceeded the local housing allowance in (a) March 2020, (b) March 2021, (c) March 2022 and (d) March 2023.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Due to an administrative error a second attachment was not uploaded as part of the response to PQ 191729: it has now been amended, and a copy of the second attachment has also been sent directly to you along with a letter explaining. I apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on the number of households in the private rented sector in receipt of universal credit with the housing element in payment; how many and what proportion of those households have rents that exceed the local housing allowance (LHA); and what the median average gap is between the rent and the LHA for those households where rent exceeds the LHA for each local authority area in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales for the most recent period for which data are available.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Data on local LHA rates and averages can be found in the attachments provided.
In 2020 we spent almost £1 billion increasing LHA rates. These rates were aligned to the 30th percentile of market rents in Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA) across the country, therefore in those areas with higher rent costs this is reflected in higher LHA rates for that BRMA. In 2022/23, the Government is projected to spend around £30 billion to support renters. This is approximately 1.4% of GDP, more than any other OECD country, with the next highest being 0.9% of GDP.
Information on the legislation increasing LHA rates to 30th percentile in April 2020 can be found here. Information on the legislation maintaining LHA rates at their current rates for 2023/24 can be found here.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.6 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.
We recognise that rents are increasing. However, the challenging fiscal environment means that difficult decisions have been necessary to ensure support is targeted effectively. Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of those households in receipt of universal credit with the housing element in payment had rents that exceeded the local housing allowance (LHA) in (a) March 2020, (b) March 2021, (c) March 2022 and (d) March 2023; and what the median average gap is between the rent and the LHA for those households where rent exceeds the LHA in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Data on local LHA rates and averages can be found in the attachments provided.
In 2020 we spent almost £1 billion increasing LHA rates. These rates were aligned to the 30th percentile of market rents in Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA) across the country, therefore in those areas with higher rent costs this is reflected in higher LHA rates for that BRMA. In 2022/23, the Government is projected to spend around £30 billion to support renters. This is approximately 1.4% of GDP, more than any other OECD country, with the next highest being 0.9% of GDP.
Information on the legislation increasing LHA rates to 30th percentile in April 2020 can be found here. Information on the legislation maintaining LHA rates at their current rates for 2023/24 can be found here.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.6 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.
We recognise that rents are increasing. However, the challenging fiscal environment means that difficult decisions have been necessary to ensure support is targeted effectively. Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for the most recent 12-month period for which this information is available, how many claims for Universal Credit were subject to deductions for (a) new claims advances, (b) change of circumstances advances, (c) budgeting advances, (d) tax credit overpayments, (e) Universal Credit overpayments and (f) any combination of the above; and for each type of deduction, what was the average value of the deduction.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The requested information is provided in the separate spreadsheet.
Asked by: Karen Buck (Labour - Westminster North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants who received the (a) Support Group element of Employment and Support Allowance and (b) Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity element of Universal Credit but not PIP received more than the Benefit Cap levels in relevant benefits In the latest month for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.