Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy that social housing tenants receiving universal credit have eligible housing costs paid for 53 rent weeks in 2024.

Universal Credit always converts weekly amounts to monthly sums using 52 weeks. This may lead to a slight advantage to the claimant when converting weekly incomes and to a slight disadvantage when dealing with outgoings. The system is used because it is simple to operate and understand.

Discretionary Housing Payments 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. Since 2011, the government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities.