As a minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, I am not aware of any plans to reintroduce the five-bedroom Local Housing Allowance rate.
While I appreciate this is not the answer that some were looking for, I believe the existing support strikes the right balance between supporting those who need it while being fair to the taxpayer. Claimants who were in receipt of the five-bedroom rate were given protection from the change for nine months after the anniversary date of their claim date. From my work at the DWP, I know this helped many families with the transition.
In April 2020, LHA rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This significant investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average of £600 more housing support in 2020/21 than they would have otherwise received. I am incredibly proud that we have managed to support so many people.
Please be assured, LHA rates have been maintained at their increased levels since then so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so.
For those who require additional support with housing costs, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. Since 2011, the Government has provided around £1.5 billion in DHPs. Further information on Discretionary Housing Payments can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housi…
