Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 56 of Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, Policy Costings, whether Local Housing Allowance rates will be maintained at their 2020-21 levels in 2022-23.

As advised at the Autumn Budget, the forecast default is that Local Housing Allowance rates for 2022-23 will be maintained at the elevated cash rates agreed for 2020-21. This will be confirmed at the uprating review.

In April 2020, Local Housing Allowance rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support in 2020-21 than they would otherwise have received.

Local Housing Allowance rates have been maintained at the same cash level for 2021-22 rather than reverting to previous rates which were much less generous.

For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments are available.    Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities for households who need additional support with their housing costs.