The Government has announced today that Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing will be kept in place.

Recognising that supported housing is a vital service for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, Housing Minister, Kit Malthouse said:

“Protection of the most vulnerable has always been our primary concern, and following our consultation, the case for keeping supported housing in the welfare system became clear.

The sector also recognised that our aim of improving the quality of homes must be addressed, and we look forward to now working with partners to make sure we have strong measures in place.”

Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance, added:

“We are committed to ensuring that vulnerable people have access to the supported housing they need to live safely and independently.

We value the expertise of stakeholders and have listened carefully to their concerns during the consultation. As a result we will continue to pay housing benefit for all supported housing – making sure safe homes are provided for those that need it most.”

Work with providers, local authorities, membership bodies and resident representatives will commence over the coming months to develop a robust oversight regime, to ensure quality and value for money across the whole supported housing sector.

A review of housing-related support will also be undertaken to better understand how housing and support currently fit together.

This will mean that residents in supported housing will be outside of the remit of the universal tax credit system and users will be able to continue to claim housing benefit.

Source: Gov.org