Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to allow landlords of rented properties to claim (1) adding insulation where there was none before, and (2) upgrading a central heating boiler from an older, less efficient model, as expenses.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government continues to support both owner-occupier and private rented sector households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Landlords are therefore eligible to claim support to install low-carbon heating or energy efficiency upgrades in their properties under schemes like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) 4.
The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on housing benefits in the last financial year; and how much of that was spent on housing provided by (a) local authorities, (b) other social housing providers and (c) private sector landlords.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2022/23 the Department spent £28.97 billion on Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Housing Element combined.
£15.00 billion was spent on Housing Benefit and £13.97 billion was spent on Universal Credit Housing Element. The quoted Housing Benefit expenditure excludes expenditure funded by Local Authorities.
Housing Benefit expenditure by tenure in 2022/23:
Universal Credit Housing Element expenditure by tenure in 2022/23:
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Disabled Facilities Grants were distributed to private rented sector tenants last year.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Government is committed to helping older and disabled people to live independently and safely. Government funding for Disabled Facilities Grant has more than doubled, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £623 million for 2023-24.
The Department does not hold the requested data for 2023.
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 (1) to promote housing affordability and stability for renters, and (2) to support first-time buyers.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is committed to delivering a better deal for renters, improving the private rented sector for responsible tenants and good landlords.
The Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 17 May 2023 and will deliver the government’s commitments. The Bill increases security of tenure for tenants by abolishing section 21 evictions. The new tenancy system will also reassure tenants that, apart from in specific circumstances set out in legislation, their rented home is theirs for as long as they want.
We continue to work towards our ambition of delivering 300,000 homes per year to help create a more sustainable and affordable housing market. Individuals who need help to make rent payments may be eligible for financial support through the welfare system. From April 2024, we will invest £1.2 billion restoring Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. For others who face a shortfall, Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities; the Government has provided almost £1.7 billion of this funding to local authorities since 2011.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 21 February 2024 to Question 14203 on Rents: Greater Manchester, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of build-to-rent developments on average rental costs in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 14203 on 21 February 2024.
Build to Rent can play a vital role in helping to meet demand in the Private Rented Sector, and the Greater Manchester area is now the second largest market for Build to Rent investment after London.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of new build-to-rent housing developments on social cohesion in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 14203 on 21 February 2024.
Build to Rent can play a vital role in helping to meet demand in the Private Rented Sector, and the Greater Manchester area is now the second largest market for Build to Rent investment after London.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on relocation agents.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters (Reform) Bill will deliver a fairer, more secure, and higher quality private rented sector that is fit for the 21st century. The Impact Assessment for the Bill considers the impact on letting agents (which includes relocation agents).
It estimates that as a result of familiarisation costs and more stable private rented sector tenancies, letting agents will face costs of £1,085 per agent per year over the ten-year appraisal period. The reforms may also create new opportunities for letting agents, such as services which support landlords to meet their new requirements.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the three properties threshold for qualifying lease status outlined in the Building Safety Act 2022 on the private rented sector.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Building Safety Act introduced leaseholder protections to ensure leaseholders are safe in their buildings. A threshold which set a balance between those purchasing properties primarily to live in and those who have made commercial or investment decisions, whether freeholders or leaseholders, was therefore needed.
There are protections in place for leaseholders who do not qualify. Building owners and landlords who built defective buildings of at least 11m or at least five storeys, or are associated with those responsible, must pay to remedy historical safety defects for both cladding and non-cladding defects. The principal residence of all leaseholders in relevant buildings will qualify for the protections. In addition, remediation contribution orders and the Defective Premises Act provide routes for leaseholders in relevant buildings to recover remediation costs from those responsible, whatever their qualifying status.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to take steps to support tenants of private landlords to take action against landlords who (a) refuse to act and (b) delay acting on cases of (i) damp and (ii) mould.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We have been very clear that where landlords of private rented sector properties fail to act on damp and mould, local authorities must support tenants by holding landlords to account, including taking enforcement action where necessary.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the median (a) difference between the cost of rent and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in households where rent exceeds the LHA and (b) deduction of universal credit claims due to (i) universal credit advances, (ii) universal credit overpayments, (iii) tax credit overpayments and (iv) other reasons for people in the private rented sector for whom the LHA does not fully cover their rent.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government spends around £30bn annually on housing support. In addition, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be increased from April 2024 to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This will mean 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (UC) will gain on average around £800 a year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024-25. This is at a cost of £7bn over five years.
The Secretary of State has committed to review LHA rates annually. That review includes consideration of current rents, as well as the broader fiscal context. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas: instead, it ensures that claimants in similar circumstances and area are treated the same.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and require additional support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion to local authorities for households who need additional support with their housing costs.
The requested information is provided below
Table 1: Median deduction amount for households where Local Housing Allowance does not cover rent in August 2023. | |
Deduction type | Median deduction amount for the selected deduction type |
Advance Repayments | £43 |
DWP non-fraud overpayments | £49 |
Tax Credit overpayments | £42 |
Other (Not in the above) | £25 |
Table 2: Number of households where Local Housing Allowance does not cover rent in August 2023. | |
Deduction type | Number of Households |
Advance Repayments | 270,000 |
DWP non-fraud overpayments | 140,000 |
Tax Credit overpayments | 90,000 |
Households with any combination of: advance repayments, DWP non-fraud overpayments or tax credit overpayments | 380,000 |
I refer the member to the answer provided on 31 January 2024, that shows the median difference between the cost of rent and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in households where rent exceeds the LHA, available here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Notes:
1. Household numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and deduction amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1.
2. Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.
3. "Advances" include all four UC advance types: New Claim, Benefit Transfer, Budgeting and Change of Circumstances.
4. The tables include the number of distinct Universal Credit households subject to a deduction in August 2023.
5. Households could have more than one deduction type so adding claims by deduction type may not sum to the total.
6. The 'other' category in table 1 includes households with a deduction, where the deduction type is not the following: universal credit advances, DWP non-fraud overpayments, tax credit overpayments. The median given is of the sum of all 'other' deductions for each household.
7. It is not possible to separate UC overpayments from other DWP non-fraud overpayments.
8. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.