Opposition Day — [18th Allotted Day] — Housing Benefit (Under-occupancy Penalty)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 1:32 pm on 27 February 2013.

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Photo of Steve Webb Steve Webb The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions 1:32, 27 February 2013

We have already seen the impact of our restrictions in the private rented sector, and we know that people make certain choices. It would be wrong of any of us to belittle those choices, given the financial situation, and I do not do so, but we have seen people on relatively modest incomes in the private rented sector saying that paying £2 a day for a spare room is worth more to them than spending that money on something else. Some people in that sector are making that choice, and that is part of where the saving comes from. Some people in the social housing sector will do the same thing.