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1135376

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting care leavers under the age of 25 from the under-occupancy penalty in the social rented sector.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	270290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Care leavers up to the age of 22 are exempt from the Local Housing Allowance shared accommodation rate in the Private Rented Sector. There are no plans to extend this exemption or to introduce an exemption for care leavers to the removal of the spare room subsidy policy in the Social Rented Sector.</p><p>For those individuals who may require more support and whose circumstances may make it difficult for them to share accommodation, Discretionary Housing Payments are available.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 270291 question first answered 02/07/2019 11:19:53 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1122021

registered interest
date	18/04/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much revenue the removal of the spare room subsidy has generated for the public purse since its introduction.
tabling member constituency	Redcar
tabling member printed	Anna Turley
uin	245853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy has not generated revenue for the public purse. However, this policy has saved over £1.7bn since its introduction in April 2013. A breakdown by financial year is provided in the table below:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Total Estimated Housing Benefit RSRS Deductions, 2013/14 to 2017/18 (£m pa)</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>385</p></td><td><p>365</p></td><td><p>355</p></td><td><p>335</p></td><td><p>320</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Deductions figures do not take into account any additional savings due to behavioural change before/after the policy has been introduced, for example moving to a smaller property to avoid a deduction.</p><p>Figures do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as these data are not currently available.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/04/2019 10:25:03 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4449 label Biography information for Anna Turley

1020263

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the savings to the Exchequer as a result of reducing housing benefit entitlement for those deemed to be under-occupying social housing, in each financial year since 2012/13.
tabling member constituency	Wentworth and Dearne
tabling member printed	John Healey
uin	199300
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy has saved over £1.7bn since its introduction in April 2013. A breakdown by financial year is provided in the table below:</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Total Estimated Housing Benefit RSRS Deductions, 2013/14 to 2017/18 (£m pa)</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>385</p></td><td><p>365</p></td><td><p>355</p></td><td><p>335</p></td><td><p>320</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Deductions figures do not take into account any additional savings due to behavioural change before/after the policy has been introduced, for example moving to a smaller property to avoid a deduction.</p><p /><p> </p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p> </p><ol><li>Figures do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as these data are not currently available.</li></ol><p> </p><ol start="2"><li>The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has been looking at the savings realised from the RSRS policy and may publish something in future.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 11/12/2018 12:08:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	400 label Biography information for John Healey

993586

registered interest
date	23/10/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce an exemption to permit students from low-income families to travel during a gap year without the family home incurring an under-occupancy penalty.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	182743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2018 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to introduce an exemption from the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy to allow students from low income families to travel during a gap year without the household incurring a reduction in benefit due to under-occupancy.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/10/2018 14:01:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

971682

registered interest
date	11/09/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households are subject to the under-occupancy penalty in each constituency; what the average weekly reduction in income is for those households; and in how many of those households there is a claimant or partner who (a) receives (i) disability living allowance, (ii) personal independence payment and (iii) employment and support allowance and (b) has children.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	173519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/10/2018 answer text <p>Figures on Housing Benefit spare room subsidy deductions in Great Britain are publically available through the DWP Stat-Xplore website. Both volumes and average deductions by parliamentary constituency are available, including broken down by whether or not the household has children. Stat-Xplore website:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>However, breakdowns by whether or not the claimant or partner also receives any of the specified disability benefits are not publicly available and so have been provided in the table attached.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability or medical condition and are in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult on a regular basis.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 09/10/2018 17:03:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson attachment 1 file name Breakdown by whether or not claimant or partner also receives any of the specified disability benefits.docx title Breakdowns table
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964141

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in (a) Birkenhead constituency, (b) Liverpool City Region, and (c) the UK, have been subject to under-occupation penalty; and how many and what proportion of those households contained (i) one and (ii) more than one disabled person.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169040
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>As at March 2018, there were:</p><p> </p><p>a) 1,220 households in Birkenhead constituency who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 860 (71%) where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>b) 17,490 households in Liverpool City Region who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 12,350 (71%) where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>c) 387,160 households in Great Britain who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 269,150 (70%) where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability or medical condition and are in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult on a regular basis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/09/2018 15:58:45 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964143

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits on excluding disabled people from the under occupancy penalty, in the event that suitable alternative accommodation at (a) the same or (b) a lower rent not available.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169041
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2018 answer text <p>An assessment has not been made regarding the exclusion of disabled people from the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy if suitable alternative accommodation at the same, or lower rent is not available. However, the size criteria rules that are used to work out the size of the household and whether the property is under-occupied for the purposes of Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, already allow an additional bedroom for disabled people and children in the following circumstances:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Where a disabled child or a couple are unable to share a bedroom because of a disability or medical condition and where the person or child is in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit;</li></ol><p> </p><ol start="2"><li>Where a disabled adult, disabled child or disabled non-dependant has overnight care on a regular basis from a non-resident overnight carer (or team of carers).</li></ol><p> </p><p>In cases where a relevant qualifying benefit is not in payment, but either a couple or child are unable to share a bedroom due to disability, the local authority should consider whether a Discretionary Housing Payment is appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2011, the Government has provided around £1 billion to date to local authorities to help support vulnerable people affected by different welfare reforms. This includes £25 million per year to support disabled people living in significantly adapted accommodation, including any adaptations made for disabled children.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2018 13:22:48 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

942871

registered interest
date	17/07/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with disabilities in Glasgow South West constituency had a deduction made from their benefits due to the removal of the spare room subsidy in the latest period for which figures were available.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	165082
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2018 answer text <p>As at February 2018, there were 2,120 households in Glasgow South West constituency who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 1,580 where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).</p><p> </p><p>The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2018 13:28:23 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

904234

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have saved in housing benefit payments in each year since the introduction of the under occupancy charge as a result of the introduction of the charge; how many extra units of accommodation have been made available in each of those years as a result of that charge; and how many tenants have opted to continue occupying accommodation subject to the charge.
tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
uin	HL7814
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2018 answer text <p>The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy has saved over £1.5 billion since its introduction in April 2013. Information on the number of households subject to a RSRS deduction and average deduction amounts is available via the DWP Stat Xplore website:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Deductions figures do not take into account any additional savings due to behavioural change before/after the policy has been introduced, for example moving to a smaller property to avoid a deduction.</p><p> </p><p>Information on extra units of accommodation made available due to the introduction of the policy is not currently available. However, the decline in the number of households subject to a deduction evident in the data on DWP Stat Xplore suggests that many people have been able to find alternative accommodation of a more suitable size.</p><p> </p><p>The DWP provided £54 million in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities in England and Wales in 2017/18 to provide support for vulnerable people affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy policy.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p> </p><ol><li>Figures on Stat Xplore do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as this data is not currently available.</li></ol><p> </p><ol start="2"><li>The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has been looking at the savings realised from the RSRS policy and may publish something in future.</li></ol> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 23/05/2018 12:23:04 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

884897

registered interest
date	16/04/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the availability of judicial legal remedies below High Court level for disabled people to challenge the under-occupancy penalty on the grounds of discrimination.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	135885
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2018 answer text <p>Disabled people can challenge the regulations underpinning the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy on the basis of discrimination by way of judicial review and seek a remedy (including damages for breach of the Human Rights Act). They can also ask the County Court to award damages for a breach of the Human Rights Act if it is found that they have been discriminated against under such regulations.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 24/04/2018 11:47:33 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead