Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse of housing benefit for (a) council, (b) social, (c) supported housing and (d) private sector tenants was in each of the last three years.

The information on council, social and private sector housing is already published and can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514192/outturn-and-forecast-budget-2016.xlsx.

The information on supported housing is not available. An initial estimate from the supported housing evidence review, commissioned by DWP and DCLG, suggests the figure may be around £4 billion. A final report will be published in the summer.