Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effectiveness of recent changes to housing payments and universal credits on local government debt.

The relationship between Universal Credit and local authority debt is complex, with many different factors at play. We continue to work closely with landlords, Local Authorities, housing associations and other organisations in order to understand the issues involved and address any concerns regarding the effects of Universal Credit.