Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on housing benefit reform, if he will extend the exemption from the under-occupancy penalty to those foster carers who have more than one spare room and who have fostered more than one child at a time in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.  

Steve Webb: This reform is about fairness and making best use of our existing, limited social housing stock in order to reduce pressure on social housing allocations so that fewer families have to be placed in temporary accommodation. Given that many families live in overcrowded housing, it is appropriate to allow one additional room under the under-occupation measure. This will not necessarily prevent a foster carer from taking in siblings, especially young children or children of the same sex. If a single foster carer, or a couple fostering live alone in a three bedroom property and have two spare rooms that may be unoccupied for periods of time, they will need to make choices as to how the second room will be funded. They will also be able to apply to the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme.  The Government's intention has always been that this group should have some protection, which is why £5 million was originally allocated to the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme. Amending the regulations will put this beyond doubt.