Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement the recommendation in the Social Security Advisory Committee’s report Young People Living Independently, published in May, to extend the exemption for care leavers from the Shared Accommodation Rate of Local Housing Allowance until they reach age 25.

The Government has no plans at present to implement the recommendation in the Social Security Advisory Committee’s report “Young People Living Independently” to extend the exemption for care leavers from the Shared Accommodation Rate until age 25. We will, however, keep this under review as the current lack of data means we are unable to be clear about the size of the problem. We continue to work with the Department for Education to develop the evidence base and consider evidence from stakeholders on the impact that the shared accommodation has on care leavers.

Since 2011 the Government has provided around £1 billion in Discretionary Housing Payment funding to local authorities to help support vulnerable people, including care leavers, mitigate rent shortfalls.