PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Universal Credit: Housing (20 February 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to enable local authorities to establish alternative payment arrangements for private rental sector cases as part of their homelessness prevention duties.

Asked by:
Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour)

The Government believes that direct payment of Housing Benefit to claimants is an important consideration in encouraging people to manage their own budget in the same way as other households, particularly where it may help claimants as they move into work.

Direct payment of Housing Benefit to private sector tenants was introduced nationally from 2008 as part of the Local Housing Allowance scheme.

We do however recognise that in a small minority of cases some claimants may not utilise their Housing Benefit for the purposes of paying their rent. There are safeguards to minimise the risks for landlords which enable local authorities to pay Housing Benefit directly to them, if their tenants have difficulty in managing their rent payments, are unlikely to pay their rent or they are eight weeks in arrears.

Answered by:
Kit Malthouse (Conservative)
27 February 2018