1,980 Universal Credit households in private rented sector exceeded Local Housing Allowance: Lyons

Mr. Lyons confirmed 1,980 households locally exceeded the allowance, in response to a Written Assembly Question from SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan.

Mr. Lyons indicated that the median gap between rent and the LHA for UC households in the private rented sector with rents that exceeded the LHA in Foyle was £116 last November.

The figures were taken from the Department for Communities (DfC) Universal Credit Full Service system (UCFS).

The minister further indicated 1,530 Housing Benefit claimants in Foyle had rents that exceeded the LHA at the same date last November.

The median gap between rent and the LHA for Housing Benefit claimants in the private rented sector with rents that exceeded the LHA in Foyle was £103.

In providing the answer Mr. Lyons explained that ‘the rate of LHA used to calculate HB/UC housing costs award depends on the area where the customer chooses to live, who lives with them and the number of bedrooms they need’.

"This may have an impact on the median monthly difference as some customers may be under-occupying their property and will therefore have a larger shortfall between their eligible rent used to calculate their HB/UC housing costs award and the contractual rent charged by their landlord.

“The median figures above are an average across all household size requirements (number of bedrooms needed). The median difference will be affected by both the household size requirements and the Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA) rates within each parliamentary constituency,” he stated.