Housing costs for tenants in social housing: awareness and consideration of options
PDF, 218KB, 17 pages
IRRV Alert - week ending 19th December 2014
Information Letters
News
Consultations
Reports
Research and analysis: Housing costs for tenants in social housing
Research and analysis
Housing costs for tenants in social housing
From:
Department for Work and Pensions
First published:
18 December 2014
Part of:
Communications and customer insight research and Simplifying the welfare system and making sure work pays
Research about communications with social housing tenants affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy.
Document
Detail
Changes to housing benefit rules from April 2013 mean that the amount claimants in social housing receive is now based on the number of people in their household. If they have more bedrooms than the rules say they need, then their housing benefit will be reduced. People who rent from private landlords already get Housing Benefit in this way, and this makes it fair for everyone.
The research evaluates communications on raising awareness of the practical ways in which claimants could meet any shortfall in their rent. It seeks to establish if affected claimants:
- are aware of the options that may be available to help them manage the changes in their finances
- know how to find information about these options
- have considered any of these options