The government has made no estimate of the number of people unable to meet housing costs due to the freeze on housing benefit rates.
The admission has been made by the Work and Pensions Minister, Mims Davies, in response to a parliamentary question.
Labour MP Wayne David used a written parliamentary question to ask what assessment the government has made of the potential effect of freezing the rates of Local Housing Allowance on the number of people who will be unable to meet their housing costs.
The Work and Pensions minister, Mims Davies, responded: “The Department does not hold this information, therefore no such estimate had been made.”
It comes as the claimants of the Local Housing Allowance face a third year of their payments being frozen in cash terms. It means that housing support provided by the government does not reflect rents as they are today. Instead, they are linked to market rents as they were in 2019.
A recent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that rented households in receipt of the LHA will receive an average of £50 a month less in benefit support than they would have got if rates had risen in line with rents.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, says: “The NRLA is appalled at the Government’s complacent attitude. Amidst a cost of living squeeze we need to do everything to support the sector and often vulnerable tenants in accessing the housing they need.
“It beggars belief that ministers have frozen vital support for many renters with no idea how many will be unable to afford their housing as a result.
“The Government should unfreeze housing benefit rates as a matter of urgency.”
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It’s not the only area where they are clueless. Here’s looking at you Gove, Eddie Hughes, May, Brokenshire, Sunak.
Let’s have the shorter kist- what have the gov GOT a clue about. And in coming labour next time will be same mostly worse. 😁
Stating the Government are clueless in regards housing is akin to saying the Pope is Catholic ⛪️
100% Simon.
Add up the numbers of homeless and those yet to be evicted for rent arrears.
Deduct those paying monthly for fancy cars, holidays and daily for fast food deliveries and throw away fashion etc.
The difference is those who can't afford to pay current rents.
Yes spot on Robert. The number would be far lower
It’s not just about housing Benefit claimants many workers can’t afford to higher rents either.
I have so many former Tenants contacting me asking if I have anything available for them or their friends, showering me with phrases.
For the first time ever… I have also been contacted… it’s really sad.
Here, let me fix that headline for you -
"Government minister clueless!"
There, DONE!
“The Government should unfreeze housing benefit rates as a matter of urgency.”
Where is the money coming from? The government needs to start buying properties from the landlord at market prices now and have the same guidelines and same Rental Reforms as PRS and see how much money, effort, staff and time is needed to pull it all together. They need to be visionary and built for the future Britain as there will always be people needing affordable housing on a permanent basis, many from 50's onwards. People who have not have pensions for various reasons, not in work most of their lives or could not afford to. For some disabilities will not go away and may not be able to work. What about various single mothers out of their choice? These are all Government's responsibilities to look after.
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