§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes have been made to housing benefit to support the policy that 16 to 17-year-old lone parents should be housed in semi-independent adult-supervised accommodation. [177541]
§ Mr. PondThe ODPM have extended the Homelessness (Priority Need for Accommodation) (England) Order 2002, to give priority need to homeless 16 and 17-year-olds (who are not relevant children under the purposes of section 23a of the Children Act 1989). In practice, this means 16 and 17-year-olds will be assisted under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (priority need) and applies to a person to whom a local authority owes a duty to provide accommodation under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989 (provision of accommodation for children in need).
No changes to housing benefit were required to support this policy.