"I am glad that the hon. Gentleman mentions the support we give to local authorities through discretionary housing payments. We constantly hear that it is not enough, so he may be startled to learn that in the year just ended, 2012-13, over 300 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales sent us back money totalling over £11 million because they could not spend it".
An hbinfo member writes:
"This is exactly what we in local government didn't want to see happening and undermines all the arguments about the pressure the changes are having for the most vulnerable in society and how inadequate the DHP budget is. Hopefully with the introduction of the bedroom tax and benefit cap in 2013/14 this will not happen again but……