Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what definition of homelessness is used by the Office for Veterans Affairs.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ definition of homelessness is in line with the Government’s definition of homelessness. Statutory homelessness is defined as households or individuals who are owed a homelessness duty by a local authority.
Nov. 29 2023
Source Page: Review of homelessness data: FOI releaseFound: Review of homelessness data: FOI release
Asked by: Antony Higginbotham (Conservative - Burnley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what (a) funding and (b) other support his Department has provided to Burnley Borough Council to tackle (i) homelessness and (ii) rough sleeping since December 2019.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government is supporting local authorities to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping through, for example, the Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) and the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI). Allocations of Government funding are published on gov.uk.
DLUHC’s dedicated team of homelessness and rough sleeping advisers also work regularly with local authorities to provide expert support in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in their area.
Aug. 29 2023
Source Page: Homelessness in Scotland: prison homelessnessFound: Homelessness in Scotland: prison homelessness
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2024 to Question 10209 on Refugees: Homelessness, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the support his Department provides to local authorities to reduce the risk of homelessness for new refugees.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We have welcomed nearly 200,000 Ukrainians to the UK since the war began and provided £1.1 billion to councils through a tariff for each arrival in their area to support guests and sponsors. Most Ukrainians have been able to sustain housing without the need for homelessness support. This year councils across the UK have been allocated £150 million to help prevent homelessness for Ukrainian households and others at risk of homelessness, and there will be an additional £120 million available next year.
The vast majority of Afghans who were in bridging hotels have been supported to move into settled accommodation. We have provided a £35 million package for local authorities to increase the support available to Afghans and help overcome the specific barriers they face in accessing the housing system, including £7,100 per person in flexible housing fund to help households into settled accommodation. There is also £9,150 per household available to local authorities for homelessness costs, and up to 6 months wraparound funding of £28 per person per day for those in temporary accommodation.
We will continue to support the Afghan cohort into settled housing, including through the £450 million third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund which follows the first two rounds of £750 million to help house Ukrainian and Afghan families in England. The Department continues to monitor homelessness in these groups, working closely to support local authorities so they are able to carry out their duties.
Aug. 29 2023
Source Page: Homelessness in Scotland: youth homelessnessFound: Homelessness in Scotland: youth homelessness
Correspondence Jan. 26 2024
Committee: Social Justice and Social Security CommitteeFound: Scottish Housing Regulator Homelessness and temporary accommodation Submission from the Scottish Housing
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the rise in homelessness.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
We are providing over £1 billion to local authorities through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including a £109 million top-up this year. This funding can be used to offer financial support for people to find a new home or to work with landlords to prevent evictions, or to provide temporary accommodation where needed. In his Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced additional UK-wide funding of £120 million to help councils address Ukraine and homelessness pressures in 2024/25.
The Government is also increasing the Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of market rents from April. This will mean 1.6 million low-income households will be around £800 a year better off on average in 2024-25 and will make it more affordable for families on benefits to rent properties in the private rented sector.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Veterans UK on veteran homelessness.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Veterans UK is the public facing name given to the administration and payment by the Ministry of Defence of Armed Forces Pensions and the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes, and Veterans Welfare Service. The brand is being retired because it does not exist as an executive agency or standalone entity, and the continued use of the brand causes confusion as to the role of the Department.
As I said in the House on 8 January 2024 (volume 743, column 11), homelessness is not principally a function of the Ministry of Defence. However, the Veterans Welfare Service, Defence Transition Service and Integrated Personal Commissioning for Veterans provide holistic transition and welfare information, guidance and support to the Armed Forces Community, which includes that in relation to homelessness where the need is specifically linked to Service. This includes responding to housing enquiries from Service leavers and their families with a housing need, including those at risk of homelessness and who require further, additional transitional support.
The lead for cross Departmental issues effecting Veterans such as homelessness is the Office for Veterans Affairs.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address homelessness and alleviate the financial strain on affected councils.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
Government is committed to ending rough sleeping and reducing homelessness and is spending £2 billion over 2022-25 on this, including £1 billion in England via Homelessness Prevention Grant to help local authorities prevent homelessness and provide temporary accommodation. Government is increasing Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of market rents from April and announced a further £120 million to help councils across UK address Ukraine and homelessness pressures in 2024/25.
Over the last three spending reviews, local government has seen real terms increases in Core Spending Power, and an injection of £5.1 billion last year, of which £3.1 billion was provided through central government grant. This year’s Local Government Finance Settlement will increase resources available to councils, on which we will set out more detail later this year. We recognise the challenges some face, and encourage any local authority with specific concerns about its ability to manage its budgets to come forward.