Overview

This bill aims to ensure that people in social housing receiving Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit receive their payments regularly and are not penalized for having more bedrooms than needed.

Description

The bill guarantees regular payments of Housing Benefit and the housing costs element of Universal Credit for those in social housing. It removes the consideration of the number of bedrooms in a property when calculating benefit entitlement. This means that claimants won't have their benefits reduced simply because they live in a property with more bedrooms than the government deems necessary. The Secretary of State can make orders to implement these changes, which are subject to parliamentary approval. The bill also makes minor and consequential amendments to existing legislation and repeals some outdated provisions. Finally, any additional government spending or income resulting from this bill will be accounted for in the national budget.

Government Spending

The bill states that any expenditure incurred by a Minister of the Crown under this Act, and any increase in sums payable under other acts, will be paid from money provided by Parliament. Conversely, any sums received by a government department by virtue of this Act will be paid into the Consolidated Fund. Specific figures are not provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects:

• Recipients of Housing Benefit: They will receive more regular payments and will not face reductions based on bedroom numbers in social housing.
• Recipients of Universal Credit (housing element): Similar to Housing Benefit recipients, they will benefit from regular payments and the removal of bedroom-based penalties in social housing.
• Social Housing Providers: The bill may indirectly impact them due to changes in benefit payment procedures.
• Government Departments: Responsible for administering benefits, they will need to adjust their systems to comply with the new regulations.

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