Today in Parliament, I called for reform of Local Housing Allowance (LHA). LHA pays the rent in the private rented sector for low income benefit claimants across the UK.
However, successive UK Governments have ensured that it increasingly does not cover the cost of rent, with families suffering hardship. It has pushed 75,000 children into poverty.
The Scottish Government (through Councils) makes up that funding gap for Scottish tenants through discretionary housing payments (DHPs).
The Scottish Government will consider how it can improve DHPs and will also again urge the UK Government to change its policy.