Department for Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 17 July 2026.
Ann Davies
Plaid Cymru, Caerfyrddin
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of homelessness among Universal Credit claimants since Local Housing Allowance was last uprated.
Stephen Timms
Minister for Equalities (Department for Education), The Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions
The causes of homelessness are multi-faceted and often complex and they interact dynamically DWP continues to work closely with MHCLG on interactions with homelessness.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, such as rent levels across the country, were considered against the fiscal context, including the level of housing support that Government provides overall.
Renters receiving housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rent costs can apply for discretionary support from local authorities via the Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payments in England and Discretionary Housing Payments in Wales.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
