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Written question asked by Iqbal Mohamed (Independent (affiliation)) on Thursday, 11 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 June 2026. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Friday, 19 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Housing Benefit: Landlords

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the total value of Housing Benefit payments made for services that were either never provided or were billed above the actual cost incurred by the landlord in the 2025-26 financial year.

Answer

Housing costs support is available in Housing Benefit or Universal Credit to those who have a liability to pay rent and eligible service charges for the home they live in.

The verification process is designed to establish the costs that the claimant has a liability for. The role of the Department is to determine the level of the liability as set out in the tenancy agreement, and to meet those costs in accordance with the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 and the Universal Credit Regulations 2013.

The Department does not collect data about payments made for services that were either not provided or were billed above the actual cost incurred by the landlord.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
9258
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Costs Housing benefit Landlords
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk