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1648861

registered interest
date	29/06/2023
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	Universal Credit: Private 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 data his Department holds on the number of households in the private rented sector in receipt of universal credit with the housing element in payment; how many and what proportion of those households have rents that exceed the local housing allowance (LHA); and what the median average gap is between the rent and the LHA for those households where rent exceeds the LHA for each local authority area in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales for the most recent period for which data are available.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	191728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Data on local LHA rates and averages can be found in the attachments provided.</p><p> </p><p>In 2020 we spent almost £1 billion increasing LHA rates. These rates were aligned to the 30th percentile of market rents in Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA) across the country, therefore in those areas with higher rent costs this is reflected in higher LHA rates for that BRMA. In 2022/23, the Government is projected to spend around £30 billion to support renters. This is approximately 1.4% of GDP, more than any other OECD country, with the next highest being 0.9% of GDP.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the legislation increasing LHA rates to 30<sup>th</sup> percentile in April 2020 can be found <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/371/regulation/4" target="_blank">here.</a> Information on the legislation maintaining LHA rates at their current rates for 2023/24 can be found <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/6/contents/made" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p> </p><p>For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.6 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that rents are increasing. However, the challenging fiscal environment means that difficult decisions have been necessary to ensure support is targeted effectively. Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies attachment 1 file name Attachment.xlsx title Attachment 2 file name Attachment 2.xlsx title Attachment 2 question first answered 17/07/2023 16:04:45 question first ministerially corrected 21/07/2023 13:52:30 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 88042 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies attachment 1 file name Attachment.xlsx title Attachment
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1648862

registered interest
date	29/06/2023
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	Universal Credit: Private 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 and what proportion of those households in receipt of universal credit with the housing element in payment had rents that exceeded the local housing allowance (LHA) in (a) March 2020, (b) March 2021, (c) March 2022 and (d) March 2023; and what the median average gap is between the rent and the LHA for those households where rent exceeds the LHA in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	191729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2023 answer text <p>The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. Data on local LHA rates and averages can be found in the attachments provided.</p><p> </p><p>In 2020 we spent almost £1 billion increasing LHA rates. These rates were aligned to the 30th percentile of market rents in Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA) across the country, therefore in those areas with higher rent costs this is reflected in higher LHA rates for that BRMA. In 2022/23, the Government is projected to spend around £30 billion to support renters. This is approximately 1.4% of GDP, more than any other OECD country, with the next highest being 0.9% of GDP.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the legislation increasing LHA rates to 30<sup>th</sup> percentile in April 2020 can be found <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/371/regulation/4" target="_blank">here.</a> Information on the legislation maintaining LHA rates at their current rates for 2023/24 can be found <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/6/contents/made" target="_blank">here.</a></p><p> </p><p>For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.6 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that rents are increasing. However, the challenging fiscal environment means that difficult decisions have been necessary to ensure support is targeted effectively. Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies attachment 1 file name Attachment.xlsx title Attachment 2 file name Attachment 2.xlsx title Attachment 2 question first answered 17/07/2023 16:04:45 question first ministerially corrected 21/07/2023 13:52:09 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 88046 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies attachment 1 file name Attachment.xlsx title Attachment
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1585955

registered interest
date	09/02/2023
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	Universal Credit: Overpayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overpayments of Universal Credit have been attributed to Official Error in each of the last three years; and what the total value of those overpayments.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	143682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2023 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt, because it is all recoverable in law.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">However, our national statistics on fraud and error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">For UC, the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£700m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£800m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£700m) in 2021/22.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made, but do indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact the DWP to discuss their repayment plan.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt because it is all recoverable in law. </ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">However, our national statistics on Fraud and Error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">For UC the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£250m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£330m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£270m) in 2021/22.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made across the year but indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type, at a point in time. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%. </ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial"> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact DWP to discuss their repayment plan.</ins></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 22/02/2023 11:43:36 question first ministerially corrected 08/03/2023 16:11:50 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove previous answer version 56681 answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1585957

registered interest
date	09/02/2023
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	Universal Credit: Overpayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value is of overpayments within Universal Credit attributed to Official Error recovered In each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	143683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2023 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt (in this way) because it is all recoverable in law.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">However, our national statistics on fraud and error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">For UC, the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£700m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£800m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£700m) in 2021/22.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made, but do indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact the DWP to discuss their repayment plan.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt because it is all recoverable in law. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">However, our national statistics on Fraud and Error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">For UC the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£250m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£330m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£270m) in 2021/22.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made across the year but indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type, at a point in time. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact DWP to discuss their repayment plan. </ins></p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 22/02/2023 12:10:37 question first ministerially corrected 08/03/2023 16:11:40 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove previous answer version 56691 answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1585958

registered interest
date	09/02/2023
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	Universal Credit: Overpayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases where the claimant had previously been advised no overpayment had occurred a Universal Credit overpayment attributed to Official Error has been identified in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	143684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2023 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt (in this way) because it is all recoverable in law.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">However, our national statistics on fraud and error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">For UC, the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£700m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£800m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£700m) in 2021/22.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made, but do indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact the DWP to discuss their repayment plan.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We do not hold data on actual Universal Credit (UC) overpayments as requested, as there is no requirement to categorise UC debt because it is all recoverable in law. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">However, our national statistics on Fraud and Error in the benefit system provide information on the estimated value of UC Official Error, both as a percentage of benefit expenditure and by value.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">For UC the figures show that UC Official Error loss has fallen from 1.3% (£250m) in 2019/20, to 0.9% (£330m) in 2020/21, to 0.7% (£270m) in 2021/22.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The statistics do not cover the number of overpayments made across the year but indicate how many cases were estimated to have an overpayment of this type, at a point in time. In 2019/20 the figure stood at 4.1%; in 2021/22 it was 2.6%. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt deductions and encourages customers experiencing hardship to contact DWP to discuss their repayment plan.  </ins></p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 22/02/2023 12:10:37 question first ministerially corrected 08/03/2023 16:11:29 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove previous answer version 56694 answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

997428

registered interest
date	29/10/2018
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	Universal Credit: Greater London
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding has been provided to each London borough to date to support people transitioning to universal credit to make their claim online.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	184860
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The funding provided to London local authorities to provide Universal Support since 1 April 2017 is set out in the attached document. This includes payments for both digital and budgeting support which can not be disaggregated.</p><p> </p><p>The funding provided to each local authority includes:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Full payment for 2017/18 (1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018)</li><li>Payment in July 2018 of 50% of the 2018/19 (1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019) funding allocation</li><li>Additional payments in September 2018 to those local authorities who provided support for more than 50% of their estimated volumes in Quarter 1 (1 April to 30 June 2018)</li></ol><p> </p><p>Funding for the remainder of 2018/19 is being collated and analysed.</p><p> </p><p>The amount paid to local authorities varies according to the expected Universal Credit caseload and how long they have been delivering Universal Credit. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Harrow Council decided to opt out of the provision of Universal Support.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 06/11/2018 17:44:56 question first ministerially corrected 06/11/2018 18:04:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma attachment 1 file name TABLE DOC 184860.docx title Funding to London LAs Universal Support previous answer version 83693 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck