Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 13 March 2012.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the financial impact of the housing benefit cap on homeless households in temporary accommodation.
Less than 2% of local housing allowance rates are affected by the caps. It is possible that a number of tenants will need to find alternative accommodation, but there is no reason why anyone should be left without somewhere to live.
Although the caps came in to effect in April 2011, existing claimants were given nine months transitional protection. It is too soon to know how landlords will react to the caps.
The Department has commissioned an independent consortium of leading research organisations to evaluate the effects of recent local housing allowance changes. The evaluation team is led by Ian Cole of Sheffield Hallam university, includes Peter Kemp (Oxford university) and members from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Ipsos Mori. Their wide remit includes providing information on homelessness. Early findings are due to be published in May 2012.
Yes0 people think so
No2 people think not
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