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Publication - Factsheet

Welfare reforms affecting housing

Published
7 June 2016
Topic
Housing

Table listing the main welfare reforms which will have an impact on housing.

Change Sector affected Date
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates capped and set at 30th percentile of local rents, not 50th Private 2011
First phase of uprating of non-dependent deductions Private & Social 2011
Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) for single people living in shared accommodation extended from under 25s to under 35s Private 2012
Bedroom tax (Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy) - Housing Benefit reduced for under-occupying tenants of working age. Social 2013
Benefit Cap for working age households - caps the total amount of benefit a household can receive at the national average earnings Private & Social 2013
First Universal Credit new claims in Scotland. To be followed by a phased migration of existing claimants. Private & Social 2014
Uprating of working-age benefits and tax credits capped at 1% Private & Social 2014
Family Premium in Housing Benefit will be removed for new claims and new births from April 2016. Private & Social April 2016
Freeze working age benefits and LHA rates for 4 years - applicable amounts for Housing Benefit From 2016/17 to 2019/20 Private & Social April 2016
Backdating of Housing Benefit limited to 4 weeks rather than 6 months Private & Social April 2016
Housing Benefit payments limited to 4 weeks for claimants who are outside Great Britain Private & Social April 2016
Reduced Benefit Cap for working age households - Reduced to £20k (£13,400 for single people) a year outside London Private & Social Phased introduction from April 2016
Entitlement for 18-21 year olds - End automatic entitlement to housing element of Universal Credit. Does not affect young people currently on Housing Benefit Private & Social April 2017
Housing Benefit entitlement for social sector tenants capped at private sector Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates Social April 2018 (for tenancies starting from April 2016)
Key welfare reforms affecting housing.pdf
File type
2 page PDF
File size
14.9 kB

Contact

Email: ceu@gov.scot

Telephone: 0300 244 4000

Post:
Scottish Government Housing, Regeneration and Welfare Directorate Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

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