Discretionary Housing Payment – Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2013, Official Report, column 883W, on housing benefit, what methodology he has used to calculate the discretionary housing payment funding available for each local authority.

Steve Webb: Following discussion with the Local Authority Associations about the distribution of discretionary housing payments, it was agreed to target resources according to need. To achieve this aim, the methodology applies a different approach to the four component parts of the total discretionary housing payment allocation for 2013/14. Local authorities were advised of the basic formula used in the attached circular (click on logo):