Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on future allocations of discretionary housing payments to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: There is no change to the way in which discretionary housing payments are allocated to local authorities.  The basis on which the various elements of discretionary housing payment funds for 2013-14 were distributed to local authorities are described in a housing benefit circular, which can be found at

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/s1-2013.pdf

However, as legislation will now provide for foster carers, the £5 million that was to be allocated to the discretionary housing payment fund for foster carers will be reallocated to programme spend. Revised allocations will therefore be issued shortly.