Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the additional number of tenants in the private rented sector who may be left facing a rent shortfall if Local Housing Allowance rates are frozen in 2022-23.

The Department has not made an estimate on the additional number of tenants in the private rented sector who would experience a rent shortfall if Local Housing Allowance rates were frozen in 2022-23.

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.