Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has considered introducing safeguards to prevent the withdrawal of Universal Credit payments where those payments are required to cover housing costs.

The Department has safeguards in place to help ensure customers can meet their housing costs and sustain their tenancies. This includes measures to protect customers’ income, such as capping deductions from the standard allowance at 15 per cent, as well as Alternative Payment Arrangements where there is a risk of rent arrears or financial harm, including paying the housing element directly to the landlord through a Managed Payment to Landlord.