http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/news/universal-credit-it-report-substantive/
 

Local Authority funding

Delays to UC implementation mean that local authorities will now administer housing benefit for much longer than anticipated. DWP needs to provide local authorities with clarity on the funding that will be available in 2014-15 and 2015-16 to cover this additional cost.

"Local authorities, which were expecting new claims for housing benefit to have ended by April 2014, will now be administering it as a separate benefit until at least 2016. It is impossible for them to know how to handle their housing benefit departments until the Government clarifies what funding will be available."