?The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry to help inform current and future UK Government thinking on the adequacy of benefits and is also looking at the relationship between social security and the labour market. Here are key points we at CLS are fundamental to making improvements
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry to help inform current and future UK Government thinking on the adequacy of benefits and is also looking at the relationship between social security and the labour market.
Here are key points we at CLS are fundamental to making improvements
Access to housing
Despite legislation preventing landlords from discriminating against tenants in receipt of housing benefit, many people in receipt of benefits are excluded from some housing options in the private rented sector (PRS) due to the inadequacy of Local Housing Allowance (LHS) rates.
The current situation is that LHA rates have been frozen since 2020 and have not kept up with market rents. Research shows there is glaring gap between LHA levels and market rents. Propertymark has called for LHA to be pegged at the thirtieth percentile, if not the fiftieth.
The five week wait
As we have reported many times before, some tenants on Universal Credit have got themselves into debt while waiting for the initial payment from the first five weeks.
The first payment should be made as an advance and any claimants that find themselves in debt should receive a grant rather than a loan. Direct payment of the housing benefit element of UC should be paid directly to landlords as the defunct option.
Work with us
We have, in the past, worked closely with DWP to help make improvements to the Universal Credit system. However, there remains significant challenges with the managed migration of people in receipt of legacy benefits to UC, which is also now being compounded by the cost of living crisis and therefore DWP should be working with stakeholders like CLS to understand the needs of landlords and tenants to prevent more landlords existing the market.