Housing benefits

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on housing benefits. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
26.02.2013Under-occupation of social housing: Housing Benefit entitlement
This note provides information on under-occupation in the social rented sector, explains the potential impact of Housing Benefit restrictions for households that are under-occupying from April 2013 and covers possible responses by landlords and tenants.
07.02.2013Draft Universal Credit Regulations 2013
Starting in selected 'Pathfinder' areas from April 2013, Universal Credit (UC) will begin to replace a range of means-tested benefits and tax credits for working age families. The Draft Universal Credit Regulations set out the detailed rules for the new benefit.
07.02.2013The housing element of Universal Credit
This note highlights some of the key differences between the current Housing Benefit system and the housing element of Universal Credit.
11.01.2013Constituency casework: housing (England)
A guide to sources for answering common constituents' housing problems.
04.01.2013The reform of Housing Benefit (Local Housing Allowance) for tenants in private rented housing
This note discusses the implementation of the LHA since 7 April 2008 and the reform of Housing Benefit for private tenants

Research Papers

DateDescription
04.01.2013Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill
16.05.2012Local Government Finance Bill 2012-13
This paper summarises the Second Reading and Committee of the Whole House stages of the Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12, which has been carried over into the 2012-13 session. Library Research Paper 12/01, Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12, published for Second Reading on 10 January 2012 in the 2010-12 session, is relevant.
05.01.2012Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12
This Research Paper has been prepared for the second reading of the Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12. The Local Government Finance Bill has been carried over into the 2012-13 session as Bill 4 of 2012/13. The Bill had completed its Committee Stage before the end of the 2010-12 Session and will have its remaining stages on 21 May 2012. Research Paper 12/14 considers the proceedings on the Bill before it was carried over.
08.06.2011Welfare Reform Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill. It complements Research Papers 11/23 and 11/24, prepared for the Commons Second Reading debate.
07.03.2011Welfare Reform Bill: Universal Credit provisions
The Welfare Reform Bill provides for the introduction of a 'Universal Credit' to replace a range of existing means-tested benefits and tax credits for people of working age, starting from 2013. The Bill follows the November 2010 White Paper, Universal Credit: welfare that works, which set out the Government's proposals for reforming welfare to improve work incentives, simplify the benefits system and tackle administrative complexity.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
15.12.2010Changes to housing benefit announced in the June 2010 Budget.
Work and Pensions Select Committee report [Commons]
13.10.2010Local housing allowance.
Government response. Work and Pensions Select Committee; Department for Work and Pensions report [Commons]
22.03.2010Local housing allowance.
Work and Pensions Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
01.02.2011SECURE TENANCIES, LEVELS OF RENT AND HOUSING BENEFITS
That this House is concerned that proposals for new fixed-term tenancies for council and housing association tenants, and up to 80 per cent. of market rents for new housing association ...
19.01.2011HOUSING BENEFIT AND LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENT
That this House notes that the Office of Budget Responsibility forecasts 1.36 million people will be claiming jobseeker's allowance at the start of 2013; further notes that in areas ...
13.12.2010JOBSEEKERS AND HOUSING BENEFIT
That this House notes that the Office of Budget Responsibility forecasts 1.36 million people will be claiming jobseeker's allowance at the start of 2013; further notes that in areas ...
02.12.2010HOUSING (S.I., 2010, No. 2836)
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that theRent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Amendment Order 2010 (S.I., 2010, No. 2836), dated 24 November 2010, a ...
02.12.2010SOCIAL SECURITY (S.I., 2010, No. 2835)
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I., 2010, No. 2835), dated 24 November 2010, a copy of which was ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
06.02.2013Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill (HL Bill 78 of 2012-13)
The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill implements an announcement by the Chancellor in the 2012 Autumn Statement that increases in certain working-age welfare benefits and tax credits would be limited to 1 percent, rather than increasing them in line with inflation. This Library Note is intended to provide background information in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords on 11 February 2013.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - an occasional series of papers compiled by the House of Lords Library