Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) raising Local Housing Allowance so that it covers the cheapest third of rents and (b) removing the benefit cap on levels of homelessness in England.

The causes of homelessness are complex and driven by a range of factors. The Government has focused on housing welfare support in recent years including, in 2020, by increasing Local Housing Allowance by nearly £1 billion to provide 1.5 million claimants of Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit with around £600 more housing support in 2020 / 2021 than they would otherwise have received. The rates will continue to be reviewed annually by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available. Since 2011, the Government has provided almost £1.5 billion in DHPs to local authorities to support people who need help with their housing costs.

The adequacy and affordability of housing is a complex area; the benefit cap is applied to a relatively low proportion of households and seeks to restore fairness between those receiving out-of-work benefits and taxpayers in employment. There is a statutory duty to review the levels of the cap at least once in every five years and this will happen at the appropriate time.