Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) claimants subject to the under-occupancy penalty are sick or disabled and (b) households subject to the under-occupancy penalty contain at least one person who is sick or disabled.
Answered by Will Quince
The information requested is not readily available for part (a) and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Some of the information requested for part (b) is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk link is external within the sections on “Housing Benefit” and “Households on Universal Credit”.
Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of households subject to the under-occupancy penalty contain at least one child.
Answered by Will Quince
The information requested is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk within the sections on “Housing Benefit” and “Households on Universal Credit”.
Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the potential number of households that will be in 2 months’ or more accumulated rent arrears as of 1 August 2021 in (a) Liverpool West Derby constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) Household Resilience Study November-December 2020 suggested that approximately 1% of private renters were 2 months or more behind. Additionally, approximately 3% of social renters were 2 months or more behind. Most renters in arrears had arrears of less than 2 months.
We do not hold data on the potential number of households that will be in 2 months' or more accumulated rent arrears as of 1 August 2021 in Liverpool West Derby constituency.
The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to support tenants with living costs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit are in place until the end of September helping renters to continue paying their rent. Local housing allowance rates have been maintained at their increased level in cash terms in 2021/22, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector continue to benefit from the significant increase in the local housing allowance rates applied in April 2020. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. For 2021-22 the Government has made £140 million available in DHP funding.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, wat estimate he has made of the number of households with 4 months’ or more accumulated rent arrears as of 1 June in (a) Liverpool West Derby Constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) Household Resilience Study November-December 2020 suggested that 1% of private renters were 2 months or more behind. Additionally, approximately 3% of social renters were 2 months or more behind.
The Department does not hold information about the number of households with 4 months' or more accumulated rent arrears in Liverpool West Derby Constituency.
The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to support tenants with living costs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit are in place until the end of September helping renters to continue paying their rent. Local housing allowance rates have been maintained at their increased level in cash terms in 2021/22, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector continue to benefit from the significant increase in the local housing allowance rates applied in April 2020. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. For 2021-22 the Government has made £140 million available in DHP funding, building on the £180 million provided last year.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of renters who in arrears in each region of the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Data from the English Housing Survey (EHS) Household Resilience Study November-December 2020 suggests that 9% of private rented households and 11% of social rented households are in arrears.
The regional distribution of renters (social and private) in arrears is provided in Table T16a of the Household Resilience Study Wave 2: Wave 2 tables, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-resilience-study-wave-2
The UK Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support which is available to tenants. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit are in place until the end of September helping renters to continue paying their rent. Local housing allowance rates have been maintained at their increased level in cash terms in 2021/22, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector continue to benefit from the significant increase in the local housing allowance rates applied in April 2020. For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. For 2021-22 the Government has made £140 million available in DHP funding, building on the £180 million provided last year.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she made of the potential merits of suspending the under-occupancy charge during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Will Quince
No assessment has been made.
The policy already allows for the provision of an additional bedroom in certain circumstances, such as to support the needs of disabled people, as well as exempting households in receipt of pension age Housing Benefit.
If a claimant’s ability to mitigate any shortfall between their housing support and rent has changed as a result of Covid-19, Discretionary Housing Payments can be considered by their local authority. We have allocated a further £140 million for Discretionary Housing Payments for 2021/22 in England and Wales.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the removal of the spare room subsidy on debt levels since the outbreak of covid-19.
Answered by Will Quince
No assessment has been made.
For those living in the Social Rented Sector, maximum housing costs support is based on actual rent and eligible service charges less any deductions for under-occupation.
The ‘Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy’ policy has helped to encourage mobility within the social rented sector, strengthen work incentives and make better use of available social housing.
The policy already allows for the provision of an additional bedroom for disabled people and carers, foster carers, parents who adopt, parents of service personnel, and people who have suffered a recent bereavement. Additionally, those in receipt of pension age housing benefit are exempt.
If a claimant’s ability to mitigate any shortfall between their housing support and rent has changed as a result of Covid-19, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available. DHPs can be paid to those in receipt of Housing Benefit or support with housing costs in Universal Credit, who face a shortfall in meeting their rental housing costs. Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in DHP funding.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that landlords receive the rent owed while the eviction moratorium is in place.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Housing possession cases were suspended in the courts from 27 March until 20 September but landlords are now once again able to progress their claims. This is an important step towards enabling landlords to regain their properties when needed.
The Government is extending the requirement for landlords to provide 6-months' notice except in the most serious cases such as anti-social behaviour, fraud and egregious rent arrears, for a further two months. The Government is also extending existing legislation to ensure bailiffs do not serve eviction notices or carry out evictions until 31 May but there are exemptions for the most serious circumstances that present the most strain on landlords, including cases where there are serious rent arrears of six months’ rent or more.
We are clear that tenants are still liable for the rent during this period and where they can pay the rent as normal, they should do. Tenants should also abide by all other terms of their tenancy agreement to the best of their ability. Tenants who are unable to do so should speak to their landlord at the earliest opportunity.
The Government has put in place an unprecedented support package, which supports renters and helps them to afford their housing costs. This includes support for business to pay staff salaries through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which has now been extended until September 2021.The Government has also invested an extra £1 billion to increase Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover the lowest 30% of market rents. In 2021/22 LHA rates will be maintained at their increased level at cash terms, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector will continue to benefit from the significant increase in the rates applied in April 2020. The Government is also extending the £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit for a further 6 months and providing a one-off payment of £500 to eligible Working Tax Credit claimants.
This strikes the right balance between prioritising public health and supporting the most vulnerable renters, whilst ensuring landlords can exercise their right to justice.
Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will review the spare room subsidy policy to ensure that people who are unable to work as a result of illness are not obliged to pay that charge.
Answered by Will Quince
The ‘Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy’ policy has helped to encourage mobility within the social rented sector, strengthen work-incentives and make better use of available social housing.
There are no plans to amend the policy which already allows for the provision of an additional bedroom for disabled people and carers, foster carers, parents who adopt, parents of service personnel, and people who have suffered a recent bereavement. Additionally, those in receipt of pension age housing benefit are exempt.
If a claimants ability to mitigate any shortfall between their housing support and rent has changed, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP’s) are available. DHPs can be paid to those in receipt of Housing Benefit or support with housing costs in Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their rental housing costs. Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in DHP funding.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support she is putting in place for people (a) awaiting a face-to-face assessment for employment and support allowance, (b) whose contributory employment and support allowance is due to expire and (c) who earn above the threshold eligible for universal credit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. We suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in March 2020. This temporary suspension, brought in to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic, remains in place, and is being kept under review in line with the latest public health guidance. Any re-introduction of face-to-face assessments would involve stringent Covid-19 related safety measures, supported by guidance for claimants and assessment providers to ensure compliance with the relevant public health guidance.
However, throughout the pandemic we have continued to assess people on paper evidence, using this route whenever possible. We also introduced telephone assessments, providing limited outcomes, in June 2020. We have continued building our capacity and capability since June enabling us to provide the full range of outcomes at volume from this February. This action will ensure that claimants receive their correct benefit entitlement as quickly as possible and reduce the time claimants who may be entitled to a higher award are waiting for their assessment.
Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends if they require further financial support they may be eligible for Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
For people who are ineligible for Universal Credit they may be eligible for other assistance such as Discretionary Housing Payments provided by their Local Authority, which helps the most vulnerable and supports renters with housing costs in the private and social rented sectors.
In addition, the Government has introduced a raft of temporary measures to support those hardest hit:
In addition, there is a Flexible Support Fund, which has been increased by £150 million, to support customers facing redundancy.