MPs Urge Government To Drop LHA Cap Plan For Supported Housing

MPs are calling on the government to abandon plans to base supported housing funding on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. A joint report by the CLG and DWP Committees on the future of supported housing finds LHA rates are an “inappropriate starting point” for a new funding model. It argues instead for a new supported housing allowance, banded to reflect the actual cost of different types of provision.  The government plans to cap housing benefit for supported housing at the LHA rate from April 2019, with local authorities providing top-ups for costs above this rate. But the committees found that, unlike the LHA rate, the cost of provision is largely consistent across the country so some areas will rely on top-ups more than others. Read more on the ARCH website.