Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress his Department has made in sharing data with registered social landlords.

The Social Security (Information-sharing in relation to Welfare Services etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I.2015/46) were laid on 23 January 2015 and come into force on 13 February 2015.

Commencing on 16 February 2015, registered social landlords, local authorities and arms length management organisations will be notified when one of their tenants makes an application for Universal Credit, or when a person already receiving Universal Credit becomes a tenant of theirs.

The data shared will be limited to that required by the landlord to identify the tenant and enable them to confirm that Universal Credit has been claimed. This will enable the landlord, at the earliest possible opportunity, to decide whether they wish to offer, or refer the claimant to, additional welfare support.