Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to review the rules on paying Housing Benefit to tenants who are in rent arrears; and what data his Department holds on the number of claimants in arrears of eight weeks or more whose Housing Benefit is paid to them rather than to their landlord.

Housing Benefit payments must be made to the landlord where a claimant has rent arrears equivalent to eight weeks or more. This is to ensure that action is taken to protect the tenancy before the landlord has the right to seek possession.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the effectiveness of the current arrangements or the potential merits of extending the circumstances in which Housing Benefit may be paid directly to landlords.

Local authorities already have powers to make direct payments in a range of circumstances, irrespective of the level of rent arrears. For example, where a claimant is likely to have difficulty managing their financial affairs, is unlikely to pay their rent, or where doing so would assist them to secure or retain a tenancy.

The Department does not hold data on claimant rent balances with landlords for Housing Benefit. Local authorities only record information on claimant entitlement and HB awards made including whether a direct payment was made to a landlord. We do not hold any data telling us whether the claimant then subsequently used the Housing Benefit they have received to pay the rent or the rent balance held.

The Department currently has no plans to make changes to this policy.