AQW 13280/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 25/01/2021
Answered On Date: 04/02/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail the support she is putting in place to help low-income private renters in a welfare reform mitigations package.

Answer:

People in the private rented sector may be eligible for financial assistance through the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme. This support may be available where a person is experiencing a shortfall between the contractual rent charged by a private landlord and the rent used to calculate entitlement to Housing Benefit or the housing costs element of Universal Credit.

People who are receiving Housing Benefit and who are affected by the Benefit Cap may be eligible for a Discretionary Housing Payment if they are not receiving a Welfare Supplementary Payment equivalent to the capped amount.

The New Decade, New Approach Deal includes a commitment to complete a review of the welfare mitigation measures. While the specific issues that will be considered as part of the review have not been finalised it is likely that support for people in the private sector who are on a low income will be included.