Housing Benefit

(asked on 24th October 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will initiate a review of the operation of the shared accommodation rate.


Answered by
 Portrait
Steve Webb
This question was answered on 30th October 2014

The Department has no plans to review the way the Shared Accommodation Rates are calculated. The Rent Officer Services set the rates in line with the current DWP policy for uprating Local Housing Allowance and with reference to evidence of achieved rents in the local area.

In 2014/15, 56 out of the 192 Shared Accommodation Rates have been increased by 4% in those areas where there is the greatest divergence between LHA rates and local rents.

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