Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people who went into (a) rent arrears and (b) council tax arrears following the underpayment of their employment and support allowance; and if she will make a statement.

The information is not available.

DWP are engaging with a number of authorities, including those responsible for Council Tax, to raise awareness of the ESA underpayment exercise and the potential issues arising from it. This will help them to assess possible impacts on these areas.

As part of the ESA underpayment exercise we will inform local authorities Housing Benefit departments of new awards of income-related ESA as part of our business as usual procedures. As Housing Benefit is available to contributory only ESA claimants, those on low incomes could still receive full Housing Benefit if assessed by their Local Authority as entitled.