Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps with representatives of local authorities to ensure that universal credit is able to cover the costs of women in supported or temporary housing so that those women can progress into employment while remaining in their accommodation.

Housing Benefit provides housing support for people in temporary accommodation, or in supported housing where the local authority deems that the accommodation meets the specified accommodation criteria, subject to the usual entitlement conditions. If the local authority decides that the specified accommodation criteria has not been met, the claimant can claim for their housing support through Universal Credit.

Where Housing Benefit claimants progress into employment, if they remain entitled to Universal Credit, their income is not taken into account for Housing Benefit purposes and there is no change to the amount they receive. If their Universal Credit claim ends, then their Housing Benefit claim is reassessed. Some of their earnings will be disregarded based on their personal circumstances. Where a claimant’s income, after the disregards, have been applied is higher than their applicable amount, Housing Benefit is reduced by a fixed taper of 65p for every £1 of additional income, meaning that they will always be better off in work. If a claimant continues to struggle to pay their rent, they can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment from their local authority.