Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) homeless people, (b) people in temporary accommodation and (c) other people who are eligible for, but are not in receipt of, the housing element of Universal Credit are able to confirm their entitlement to those benefits when (i) undertaking affordability checks and (ii) signing a tenancy agreement.

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring that vulnerable adults and those with temporary accommodation are adequately supported in securing and managing their benefit. We offer a variety of support for these customers, much of which is tailored to customer’s individual needs.

As part of the process of claiming Universal Credit, we ask the claimant to provide details of the type of accommodation they currently live in, and will either:

• Pay housing costs through their UC award if they rent from either a private landlord or a social rented sector landlord
• Signpost the claimant to claim Housing Benefit if they live in Temporary or Supported Accommodation
• Offer Support for Mortgage Interest if the claimant is a homeowner and has a mortgage
• Pay no housing costs if the claimant is not eligible to have them paid

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In addition to above, we offer a holistic case management approach where our agents are expected to offer advice and support on a case-by-case basis. We continue to review and iterate our services to optimise the claimant experience.