Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential effect of the benefit cap on a domestic abuse survivor’s decision to leave their abuser.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP is committed to supporting all our claimants, including the most vulnerable in society. This includes those who are, or have been, victims of domestic abuse.
The benefit cap and the two-child limit policies help to restore fairness between those receiving working age benefits and taxpayers in employment. However, important mitigations are in place to support the most vulnerable.
We provide a tailored service that recognises those with complex needs and ensures provision of appropriate support. This might include pausing job search requirements, initiating alternative payment arrangements or deferring repayments. In addition, claimants that are temporarily absent from home due to fear of violence can receive the housing element of Universal Credit, and/or Housing Benefit, for both the home that has been left and any new home for up to a year. Housing support for specified accommodation, including refuges, is excluded from the benefit cap calculation as is any Housing Benefit paid to a Universal Credit claimant.
Departmental training and awareness is now better than it ever has been, allowing Jobcentre staff to proactively identify, support and signpost victims of abuse.
Discretionary Housing Payments are available for households that need additional financial support to meet housing costs. While the allocation of this funding is at Local Authority discretion, we have strengthened the associated Guidance Manual to ensure that individuals or families fleeing domestic abuse are considered a priority group for DHP support.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has she made as to the number of people at risk of domestic violence and subject to the Benefit Cap.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
We provide a tailored service that recognises those with complex needs and ensures provision of appropriate support. This might include pausing job search requirements, initiating alternative payment arrangements or deferring repayments.
Claimants who are temporarily absent from home due to fear of violence can receive the housing element of Universal Credit, and/or Housing Benefit, for both the home that has been left and any new home for up to a year. Housing support for specified accommodation, including refuges, is excluded from the benefit cap calculation as is any Housing Benefit paid to a Universal Credit claimant.
Departmental training and awareness is now better than it ever has been, allowing Jobcentre staff to proactively identify, support and signpost victims of abuse.
Discretionary Housing Payments are available for households that need additional financial support to meet housing costs. While the allocation of this funding is at Local Authority discretion, we have strengthened the associated Guidance Manual to ensure that individuals or families fleeing domestic abuse are considered a priority group for DHP support.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the joint briefing from Shelter and Women’s Aid on the benefit cap and domestic abuse published in May 2021.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No assessment has been made.
We provide a tailored service that recognises those with complex needs and ensures provision of appropriate support. This might include pausing job search requirements, initiating alternative payment arrangements or deferring repayments.
Claimants who are temporarily absent from home due to fear of violence can receive the housing element of Universal Credit, and/or Housing Benefit, for both the home that has been left and any new home for up to a year. Housing support for specified accommodation, including refuges, is excluded from the benefit cap calculation as is any Housing Benefit paid to a Universal Credit claimant.
Departmental training and awareness is now better than it ever has been, allowing Jobcentre staff to proactively identify, support and signpost victims of abuse.
Discretionary Housing Payments are available for households that need additional financial support to meet housing costs. While the allocation of this funding is at Local Authority discretion, we have strengthened the associated Guidance Manual to ensure that individuals or families fleeing domestic abuse are considered a priority group for DHP support.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consultation took place with domestic abuse refuge providers before reforms were made to the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.
The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.
The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.
My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities can exercise discretion with regards to the maximum number of persons who are permitted to reside in rooms within refuge accommodation licensed as a House of Multiple Accommodation.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.
The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.
The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.
My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of refuge providers in England own their own property; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the licensing regime on those providers.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.
The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.
The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.
My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on domestic abuse refuge providers that own their property and are licensed as Houses of Multiple Occupation of the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.
The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.
The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.
My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the (a) benefit cap and (b) two child limit on people fleeing domestic abuse.
Answered by Will Quince
DWP is committed to supporting all our claimants, including the most vulnerable in society. This includes those who are, or have been, victims of domestic abuse.
The benefit cap and the two-child limit policies help to restore fairness between those receiving working age benefits and taxpayers in employment. However, important mitigations are in place to support the most vulnerable.
We provide a tailored service that recognises those with complex needs and ensures provision of appropriate support. This might include pausing job search requirements, initiating alternative payment arrangements or deferring repayments. In addition, claimants that are temporarily absent from home due to fear of violence can receive the housing element of Universal Credit, and/or Housing Benefit, for both the home that has been left and any new home for up to a year. Housing support for specified accommodation, including refuges, is excluded from the benefit cap calculation as is any Housing Benefit paid to a Universal Credit claimant.
Departmental training and awareness is now better than it ever has been, allowing Jobcentre staff to proactively identify, support and signpost victims of abuse.
Discretionary Housing Payments are available for households that need additional financial support to meet housing costs. While the allocation of this funding is at Local Authority discretion, we have strengthened the associated Guidance Manual to ensure that individuals or families fleeing domestic abuse are considered a priority group for DHP support.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many supported accommodation providers are housing victims of domestic violence.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
There is national data on the number of bed spaces for victims of domestic abuse: as of May 2020 providers registered with Women’s Aid were providing 3,935 bed spaces.
Domestic abuse refuges are classed as supported exempt accommodation. As the commissioning and funding of all supported housing, and responsibility for administering Housing Benefit claims is devolved to local authorities, my Department does not hold data centrally on the number of providers or units for all supported exempt accommodation.
The supported housing pilots include funding for five local authorities to determine need and supply within their areas, including an overview of the types of supported housing and the client groups they are providing for. Birmingham is one of the funded areas who will be producing this strategic need and supply assessment.
We are working closely with local authorities, Women’s Aid and Imkaan on the issue of supported accommodation housing victims of domestic abuse.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many victims of domestic abuse are living in exempt accommodation in (a) England and (b) Birmingham as at 25 January 2021.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
There is national data on the number of bed spaces for victims of domestic abuse: as of May 2020 providers registered with Women’s Aid were providing 3,935 bed spaces.
Domestic abuse refuges are classed as supported exempt accommodation. As the commissioning and funding of all supported housing, and responsibility for administering Housing Benefit claims is devolved to local authorities, my Department does not hold data centrally on the number of providers or units for all supported exempt accommodation.
The supported housing pilots include funding for five local authorities to determine need and supply within their areas, including an overview of the types of supported housing and the client groups they are providing for. Birmingham is one of the funded areas who will be producing this strategic need and supply assessment.
We are working closely with local authorities, Women’s Aid and Imkaan on the issue of supported accommodation housing victims of domestic abuse.