Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to provide support for tenants in Rother Valley constituency who have built up rent arrears as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

To support renters and ensure they can continue to afford their housing costs, the Government has put in place an unprecedented support package, including support for business to pay staff salaries?through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.?We have quickly and effectively boosted the welfare safety net by over £9 billion in 2020/21. These measures include increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £1,040 a year for the next 12 months, and a significant investment in the Local Housing Allowance of nearly £1 billion, lifting rates to the 30th percentile from April this year. The Chancellors has recently announced the Government’s Winter Economy Plan which sets out further measures to support jobs and businesses.

For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21, there is already £180 million in DHPs for local authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs, including an additional £40 million to help tackle affordability pressures in the private rented sector.

To?further?protect renters over winter,?we have?legislated to?increase?notice periods to 6 months in all but most serious circumstances?and?asked bailiffs?not to carry out evictions?over Christmas or?in areas that are subject to a local lockdown?where?that includes a restriction on gatherings in homes.