PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Universal Credit: Local Government (20 February 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to widen the scope of universal credit data-sharing with local authorities (a) to help prevent homelessness by resolving claim problems and (b) for other purposes; and if she will make a statement.

Asked by:
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour)

In Universal Credit, information is shared with Local Authorities (LA) throughout the life cycle of a Universal Credit claim, for example to inform the LA that a claim has been made so that any existing Housing Benefit claims can be stopped, or to help support claims for Local Council Tax Reduction.

The sharing of Universal Credit data helps LAs with their ability to discharge their own duties, for example on preventing homelessness. Additionally, we also announced in the 2017 autumn budget, that from April 2018 we will be taking housing costs for those claimants in temporary accommodation out of Universal Credit, and having these housing costs met through Housing Benefit.

Answered by:
Lord Sharma (Conservative)
23 February 2018