Written questions, answers and statements

Local Housing Allowance

Show full question

Question for Department for Work and Pensions

UIN 16937, tabled on 16 June 2021

Question

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
Labour
Slough
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the Government has frozen Local Housing Allowance.

Answer

Will Quince
Conservative
Colchester
Commons

Answered on

21 June 2021

We significantly increased housing support for private renters last year, raising Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to the 30th percentile of local rents in April 2020. This investment of nearly £1billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support last year than they would otherwise have received. We have maintained LHA rates at the same cash level for 2021/22, rather than reverting back to previous rates.

For those who require additional support with housing costs, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in DHP funding. We have allocated a further £140 million for Discretionary Housing Payments for 2021/22 in England and Wales.

Answered by

Department for Work and Pensions
Named day
Named day questions only occur in the House of Commons. The MP tabling the question specifies the date on which they should receive an answer. MPs may not table more than five named day questions on a single day.