Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2021 to Question 183052 on Local Housing Allowance. what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on Discretionary Housing Payment applications of the statistics on households in receipt of Local Housing Allowance where rent exceeds the allowance.

There has been no such assessment made. Data on households in receipt of Local Housing Allowance where rent exceeds the allowance is taken into account when allocating Discretionary Housing Payment funding between Local Authorities.

There is no limit to the length of time over which a Discretionary Housing Payment award may be made. It may be awarded for a short period to give a claimant time to deal with their financial circumstances or for a longer period until their circumstances change.

Since 2011, the government has provided over £1 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities to help support people who need help those who require further financial assistance towards housing costs.