Housing Benefit: Essex

Mr. Amess
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will publish information on changes in the level of benefits experienced by local housing allowance claimants resident in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex who move address; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of persons residing in (a) Southend and (b) Essex who will receive (i) an increase, (ii) a decrease and (iii) no change in benefit paid following the introduction of local housing allowance; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement;

Kitty Ussher
We have no immediate plans to publish specific information on the level of benefit change experienced by local housing allowance claimants who move address. We are in the process of carrying out a two year review of local housing allowance.

A claimant who is receiving the local housing allowance and who moves address within their existing broad rental market area, and who has no other changes to their family composition, will normally see no change in the amount of local housing allowance that they receive.

From 7 April 2008, the local housing allowance is being rolled out to customers making new claims for benefit and customers who change address. The local housing allowance provides a clear and transparent set of allowance rates that helps tenants know how much financial help is available. A claimant can obtain details of the relevant rate of local housing allowance in advance, allowing them to make an informed choice about the affordability of specific accommodation.

Information on all local housing allowance rates and details of broad rental market areas are available from the rent service website at:

www.therentservice.gov.uk/

The Department carried out a full public consultation before introducing the local housing allowance. We have received a wide range of representations about all aspects of local housing allowance. Details of individual representations, and our response to them, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.