Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial information is sent to his Department from individual local authorities on the administrative costs incurred in the preparation for, and the processing of, the under-occupancy penalty; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has provided funding to each local authority to meet the additional costs resulting from our reforms to Housing Benefit. Local Authority Associations were fully consulted when determining these new costs.

The Department does not collect details of expenditure on Housing Benefit administration from individual local authorities.