Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2021 to Question 65363, what estimate her Department has made of the number of tenants in the private rented sector whose benefit entitlement will be reduced as a result of Local Housing Allowance rates being maintained for a further 12 month period.

Since 2011, we have provided over £1 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities for households who need extra help with their housing costs.

The decision on Local Housing Allowance rates for 2022/23 will be confirmed at the uprating review in due course. There are no plans to introduce targeted affordability funding.

The baseline for costings is that rates will be maintained at the elevated cash rates agreed for 2020/21, an investment which cost around £1 billion per year. This means maintaining rates in cash terms would not provide any savings for the Department, nor would it reduce any claimant’s benefit entitlement.