Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 51543 on Cost of Living: Fylde, how the allocation for Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales is being managed; and what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable renters have access to these payments in Fylde constituency.

Local authorities administer the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) scheme as they are best placed to make informed judgements about relative priorities and needs in their area to ensure that the most vulnerable are supported and the funds are targeted effectively. To support local authorities to deliver the scheme effectively, DWP publishes local authority guidance and engages with local authorities through regular forums.

We consider the allocation of DHPs to individual local authorities each year; consultation with local authorities is included as part of this process. Local authorities are required to provide details of their DHP expenditure every six months, and this enables officials to closely monitor spend to ensure funding is targeted effectively (Discretionary Housing Payments statistics - GOV.UK).