The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has rejected a proposal from an SNP MP to make Housing Benefit claimants eligible for the £900 means-tested cost of living payments. The first of the three payments (£301) which make up the £900 is currently being made to over eight million households on qualifying benefits including Universal Credit, Tax Credits and Pension Credit.
Stewart Malcolm McDonald asked the DWP if it would “make an assessment of the potential merits of adding Housing Benefit to the list of qualifying benefits for eligibility to access the cost of living payment”. However, in a written response on May 10, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, Mims Davies MP explained that “Housing Benefit is not an income replacement benefit” and is only intended to cover housing costs.
Housing Benefit can be claimed alongside income-related benefits such as Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Tax Credits, Income Support and Pension Credit - which all qualify for the means-tested cost of living payments.
