Housing: Private Rented Sector

Lord Beecham Excerpts

Tuesday 19th February 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

My noble friend is right: it is a good scheme that perhaps has not had the take-up we hoped for, and it might benefit from added publicity. I will take that message back because it is a good scheme and we are trying to do many things to get the housing problem under control. That is just one more, and it comes at a low cost.

[Lord Beecham (Lab)]

What assessment have the Government made of the number of older people living in social housing while paying the bedroom tax, or who, because of rent increases, have moved into the private rented sector?

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

My Lords, I would be interested to know if the noble Lord has evidence of that happening. In short, we have not made that connection but if he has evidence, I would be very keen to see it and we can take it forward and share the results with the whole House.