Recommendation 8

The reset of Local Housing Allowance to cover the 30th percentile of rents was a welcome intervention at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the increase has since been eroded by rising housing costs. Some parts of the country are experiencing acute shortages of affordable housing, and we have heard this is leaving some unable to move on from temporary accommodation. DWP should work with other Departments to make housing more affordable for those on low incomes, as it did in 2020. This must include an increase to Local Housing Allowance to ensure that it supports people on low incomes to access secure, affordable housing in their local area. (Paragraph 31) Benefit cap