Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to provide financial support to claimants of universal credit who are unable to make home rental payments as a result of the benefit cap.

Universal Credit claimants can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payments from their local authority if they need additional support to meet housing costs and over £1 billion has been provided to Local Authorities since 2011 to help the most vulnerable claimants.

We have provided £180m in Discretionary Housing Payment funding to Local Authorities to support vulnerable claimants with housing costs in the private and social rented sector in England and Wales for 2020/21. This includes an extra £40m as announced last year at the spending round.