Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the financial impact of the housing benefit cap on homeless households in temporary accommodation.

Steve Webb: Less than 2% of local housing allowance rates are affected by the caps. It is possible that a number of tenants will need to find alternative accommodation, but there is no reason why anyone should be left without somewhere to live.  Although the caps came in to effect in April 2011, existing claimants were given nine months transitional protection. It is too soon to know how landlords will react to the caps.  The Department has commissioned an independent consortium of leading research organisations to evaluate the effects of recent local housing allowance changes. Their wide remit includes providing information on homelessness. Early findings are due to be published in May 2012.