Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of annually increasing Local Housing Allowance at a rate greater than or equal to the rate of inflation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local Housing Allowance policy is reviewed annually by the Secretary of State, and its impact is monitored regularly. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of this review.
In 2021/22 the Government spent almost £30 billion to support renters in both the private and social rented sector. This is forecast to rise to £31 billion in 2023/24.
LHA rates were boosted by almost £1 billion in 2020, this significant investment has been kept annually to maintain rates.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2023 to Question 154038, whether the impact assessment included an assessment of the potential impact on universal credit claimants of travelling to up to 10 one-to-one jobcentre appointments within a two-week period; and if he will publish the impact assessment.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Claimants can request to be reimbursed for additional travel costs to Jobcentre appointments, over and above their weekly/fortnightly attendance, during the two-week period of intensive support. This follows our usual process.
Work Coaches will continue to tailor support based on the claimant’s needs and the eligibility criteria set for the pilot. The eligibility criteria are designed to focus this support on claimants who are able to start work but struggling to find work or increase their earnings. Vulnerable claimants and those whose circumstances prevent them from being available for work are not required to participate.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2023 to Question 154037, what the average processing time was for claims by participants in the additional jobcentre support pilot for travel costs during the pilot.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The flexible support fund is there to assist claimants. The pilot is in its early stages, as such this requested information is not presently available.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2023 to Question 154037, how many and what proportion of participants in the additional jobcentre support pilot (a) made applications to be reimbursed for and (b) were reimbursed for the cost of travel above their weekly or fortnightly attendance.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The flexible support fund is there to assist claimants. The pilot is in its early stages, as such this requested information is not presently available.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Written Statement of 27 February 2023 on Additional Jobcentre Support – Pilot rollout, HCWS582, whether he has made an assessment of the ability of claimants to travel to 10 one to one job centre appointments within in a two week period.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The criteria for participation in Additional Jobcentre Support was developed following an Impact Assessment, to ensure that claimants can attend these appointments. Our Work Coaches will continue to tailor support based on the claimant’s needs and the eligibility criteria set for the pilot.
The Flexible Support Fund can assist with travel costs.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Written Statement of 27 February 2023 on Additional Jobcentre Support – Pilot rollout, HCWS582, whether claimants will be reimbursed travel costs for the one to one job centre appointments they are asked to attend in a two week period.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Claimants can request to be reimbursed for additional travel costs to Jobcentre appointments, over and above their weekly/fortnightly attendance, during the two-week period of intensive support. This follows usual processes.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of Universal Credit claimants who have been made homeless due to the increase in rates of mortgage interest.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The primary purpose of SMI is to provide owner-occupiers receiving an income-related benefit with a level of support that is sufficient to protect them from the threat of repossession. Lenders recognise that the payments we make will not always mirror the mortgage-holders liability, but we expect that they will, nonetheless, exercise forbearance.
The rate at which SMI is paid changes only when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate varies from the rate in payment by 0.5 percentage points or more. Through guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority, lenders are aware that a change to the rate of SMI payments is triggered only in these circumstances and so should continue to offer tailored forbearance to their customers.
While SMI is kept under review, there are currently no plans to amend this policy. There has been no assessment on the impact of rising mortgage repayments for those claimants who are in receipt of SMI. Therefore, there has been no estimate made on the number of Universal Credit claimants who have been made homeless due to increases in mortgage interest rates.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
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 impact of rising mortgage repayment rates on claimants for (a) Universal Credit and (b) other state benefits.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The primary purpose of SMI is to provide owner-occupiers receiving an income-related benefit with a level of support that is sufficient to protect them from the threat of repossession. Lenders recognise that the payments we make will not always mirror the mortgage-holders liability, but we expect that they will, nonetheless, exercise forbearance.
The rate at which SMI is paid changes only when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate varies from the rate in payment by 0.5 percentage points or more. Through guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority, lenders are aware that a change to the rate of SMI payments is triggered only in these circumstances and so should continue to offer tailored forbearance to their customers.
While SMI is kept under review, there are currently no plans to amend this policy. There has been no assessment on the impact of rising mortgage repayments for those claimants who are in receipt of SMI. Therefore, there has been no estimate made on the number of Universal Credit claimants who have been made homeless due to increases in mortgage interest rates.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Support for Mortgage Interest payable to Universal Credit claimants who make mortgage payments has not been revised and increased in line with mortgage interest rates.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The primary purpose of SMI is to provide owner-occupiers receiving an income-related benefit with a level of support that is sufficient to protect them from the threat of repossession. Lenders recognise that the payments we make will not always mirror the mortgage-holders liability, but we expect that they will, nonetheless, exercise forbearance.
The rate at which SMI is paid changes only when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate varies from the rate in payment by 0.5 percentage points or more. Through guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority, lenders are aware that a change to the rate of SMI payments is triggered only in these circumstances and so should continue to offer tailored forbearance to their customers.
While SMI is kept under review, there are currently no plans to amend this policy. There has been no assessment on the impact of rising mortgage repayments for those claimants who are in receipt of SMI. Therefore, there has been no estimate made on the number of Universal Credit claimants who have been made homeless due to increases in mortgage interest rates.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to raise the level of Support for Mortgage Interest payable to Universal Credit claimants who make mortgage payments, in the context of increases in inflation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The primary purpose of SMI is to provide owner-occupiers receiving an income-related benefit with a level of support that is sufficient to protect them from the threat of repossession. Lenders recognise that the payments we make will not always mirror the mortgage-holders liability, but we expect that they will, nonetheless, exercise forbearance.
The rate at which SMI is paid changes only when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate varies from the rate in payment by 0.5 percentage points or more. Through guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority, lenders are aware that a change to the rate of SMI payments is triggered only in these circumstances and so should continue to offer tailored forbearance to their customers.
While SMI is kept under review, there are currently no plans to amend this policy. There has been no assessment on the impact of rising mortgage repayments for those claimants who are in receipt of SMI. Therefore, there has been no estimate made on the number of Universal Credit claimants who have been made homeless due to increases in mortgage interest rates.