§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the impact of the £27.50 limit on the amount of rent which can be covered by housing benefit for single under-25 people; and if she will make a statement. [2237]
Mr. BradleyThere is no national limit on the amount of rent which can be covered by Housing Benefit for single people under 25. The single room rent is determined by independent Rent Officers for the locality in which the claimant lives. The single room rent restriction was introduced by the previous administration in October 1996. They initiated a monitoring exercise and we will look at the results carefully. The Government has also commissioned research to gauge the impact of this, and other measures. The results are expected next year.