Freeze On Local Housing Allowance Rates ‘Must Be Scrapped’

The freeze on LHA rates must be scrapped to open up the private rented sector to the homeless, according to crossbench peer, Lord Best.  This year is the second year of the Government’s freeze on LHA rates. In the Summer Budget 2015 the Chancellor announced that LHA rates –  set at the 30th percentile point for local market rents – would be frozen at the 2016/17 level  for four years even if market rose over that period. This freeze also applies where housing costs are paid through Universal Credit. This has led to fears that fewer landlords will be willing to accommodate tenants on benefits – particularly against a backdrop of rising rents and increasing regulatory costs. Read more on the RLA website.