Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to make work pay for young people in supported accommodation.

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for working age customers living in supported and temporary accommodation. This issue is a complex one, and eradicating the financial cliff edge some individuals face as they incrementally increase their earnings could not be achieved by simply aligning the taper rates within the two benefits.

We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.