Look like a “Review” from the budget book itself..
4.14 Over 4 million low-income tenants receive help with the cost of their rent through Housing Benefit (HB). The Government has made administrative and structural improvements in recent years, which has helped local authorities halve the time taken to process claims since2002. It is also continuing to test process improvements, for example through the “In and Out of Work” pilots currently being tested in six local authority areas. And the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which replaces the current support for private sector tenancies with a flat rate allowance based on family size and area, is being introduced nationally from April 2008.
Despite HB being available both in and out of work, it is still seen by some as a disincentive to work. Expenditure is also rising, even though the number of people claiming is forecast to remain static. As the LHA is introduced, the Government will therefore undertake a comprehensive review of the working age HB system, to look at its effectiveness, particularly in promoting work incentives, efficiency and fairness, and to ensure that it represents value for money for the taxpayer.
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