Private Rented Housing: Cost of Living

(asked on 20th October 2022) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the cost of living crisis on people living in private rented accommodation; and what steps his Department is taking to help support those people.


Answered by
Andrew Stephenson Portrait
Andrew Stephenson
This question was answered on 25th October 2022

The Government understands the pressures some private renters are facing with the cost of living.

That is why it has taken action worth over £37 billion to support those who need it most in 2022-23. This includes households receiving £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme and the £150 Council Tax rebate for households in England in Council Tax bands A-D. The Household Support Fund has also been extended to help vulnerable households with the cost of essentials including energy bills.

In addition, the Energy Price Guarantee will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas so that a typical household in Great Britain will save around £700 this Winter. The Energy Price Guarantee will be in place from 1 October 2022 until 31 March 2023.

Private renters who need help towards their rental payments may be eligible for a range of support through the welfare system. Local Housing Allowance rates have been maintained at their increased levels in 2022-23, following investment of nearly £1 billion in April 2020. For those most in need, support is available through Discretionary Housing Payments to help meet a shortfall in housing costs.

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